


a springtime lullaby

by alsoheretowrite, justheretowrite



Series: a melody of four seasons [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, Haruno Sakura-centric, Humor, Mokuton User Haruno Sakura, Nohara Rin Lives, the 'Sakura as Tsunade's kid' AU that no one asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2020-12-27 03:08:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 68,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21111671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alsoheretowrite/pseuds/alsoheretowrite, https://archiveofourown.org/users/justheretowrite/pseuds/justheretowrite
Summary: Kakashi stared at the file of his former teammate's protégée with suspicion. At first, there was nothing particularly special about it. The girl was talented, sure, but so was the Uchiha and, in a way, so was the Uzumaki.It only took him two words to understand Rin's apprehension.The space left for her father's name was blank, but right under it, where her mother's name should  be, there was something that made him pale.He had to read it again, but the words didn't change.Senju Tsunade.The Hokage was really leaving him in charge of the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, the last Uchiha and the last Senju - the only daughter of Senju Tsunade herself, no less.When had this become his life?





	1. falling petals

She could see the huge gates rising in the distance, the only waypoint through the wall surrounding the village. Her heart squeezed more at every step that drew her closer to the dreadful destination, and she tightened her arms around her Nee-chan's neck.

There had been a time when Sakura would have been ecstatic to finally see the place where Kaa-san and Nee-chan had grown up, where her clan had dug its roots. Her mother barely spoke about Konoha, but Shizune-nee never failed to supply her with stories of the village she had once called her home. It made the girl eager to know every part of it, to feel as much for it as her family did.

She had simply never imagined that it would be like _this_.

For a moment, the kid couldn't keep her brain from reminding her of what happened, of the reason why her family was heading towards those dreadful gates. She shut her eyes tightly, struggling to get rid of the memory as more tears made their way down her cheeks.

Shizune-nee caressed her pink hair, muttering words of comfort, promising that everything would be okay – that they would meet again someday. Muttering that she loved Sakura and pleading for the girl to believe that, even if it appeared otherwise.

Walking beside them, Tsunade said nothing. She hadn't spoken much since the incident, no more than some curt words to explain to Sakura that she would have to live in Konoha and that the Slug Princess and her apprentice couldn't stay with her. Kaa-san had been distant ever since the attack, and Sakura simply couldn't bear it anymore.

She reached out with a trembling hand, and her small fingers closed around a strand of blond hair, drawing her mom's gaze to her. The child saw, then, Tsunade's eyes shining with tears she refused to shed. But Kaa-san never cried – at least, never in front of Sakura – and the sight of it looked so wrong that the child just couldn't look.

“Sakura.” Kaa-san called, but the young girl shook her head and kept her face hidden in the crook of Nee-chan's neck. “Sakura, look at me.” The Sannin asked, and her trembling voice sounded so gentle that the child couldn't not obey, no matter how much she didn't desire to see the person she loved the most crying.

Sakura lifted her head, and her green eyes soon met her mother's brown ones. Save for their facial features, they looked nothing alike, and Shizune once said that the child had inherited her unusual coloring from the father they never spoke of.

“You will be fine.” Kaa-san promised, holding the girl's gaze as she took a hand to Sakura's head and, with her thumb, stroked the same place where a purple diamond marked her own skin. “You are strong, and we'll see each other again.” She forced a smile, but it quickly fell from her lips.

Sakura knew it was a lie. She wouldn't be fine, not without her family, and she wasn't strong.

If she were, there would be no need to leave her behind.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

The Hokage Mansion was huge, perhaps the largest building Sakura had ever been to, but the girl didn't pay it any mind. Her family was gone, had left her behind with nothing more than Shizune-nee's senbon launcher, still too big for Sakura to wrap around her arm, and Kaa-san's hitai-ate, the worn black fabric so fragile between her fingers, and the girl felt her heart constricting.

She could barely see Konoha's symbol carved in the metal as tears blurred her vision. She'd never seen her mom wearing it – nor did Nee-chan wear hers, for that matter – but she clung to it like a lifeline. It was everything she had left of Kaa-san, after all.

“... Tsunade-sama?”

Sakura jerked her head up at Kaa-san's name. She hadn't been paying much attention to what had happened since her mom handed her over to an old man – the Hokage, she corrected herself – still at the village gates. Still, she had noticed when he brought her to his office and left her on a couch. And that, a short time later, a woman had entered the room.

Said woman seemed a little shorter than Nee-chan and had her straight brown hair cut in a similar chin-length bob that framed her face. She had gentle brown eyes and rectangular purple markings on both cheeks. The woman was wearing a long-sleeved black top and a beige apron-skirt, under which were black shorts. She also wore a black Konoha hitai-ate and a pair of black sandals, with red stockings that stopped at her thighs. A small, red bracelet circled her left wrist.

“Yes.” The Hokage replied, although Sakura hadn't heard the entire question. “The council won't know. No one beyond what's strictly necessary will.” Then, he looked at the pink-haired girl with a gentle gaze, and she quickly looked away. “For now, secrecy will keep her safer than any ANBU squad could.” He went on, not seeming to mind the fact that she had been staring before.

Sakura turned to watch the conversation again in time to see the newcomer's hesitant nod. “Then, why tell me?” The woman asked. “Am I being assigned to take care of her?”

The Hokage nodded. “There will be no records of this mission, of course. Think of it as a favor.” He smiled a small, kind smile. “You're, by no means, obligated to do it, but I would appreciate it if you could monitor Sakura-chan and keep me informed about her wellbeing.”

“She will be living with me, then?” The woman asked, nervousness hanging on every word.

“Only until I have an apartment ready for her.” The Hokage replied, unaffected by her hesitation, almost as if he hadn't noticed it. Or as if he had been expecting it.

At his answer, the woman opened and closed her mouth several times, as if unsure of what to say. Then, she averted her gaze from him to Sakura, examining her with those big brown eyes, before she turned back to the Hokage. When she tried to speak again, the sound that crossed her lips was a slightly shaky, uncertain voice.

“Forgive me if I'm being rude, Hokage-sama, but...” She trailed off, unsure if she should continue. Only when the man nodded in encouragement did she speak again. “Is that wise? Making her live alone, I mean. She is only six.” Again, the woman eyed the child, brown eyes so filled with worry that it reminded Sakura of how Nee-chan looked at her sometimes.

_Used_ to look at her. Nee-chan wasn't around anymore.

Behind the wooden desk, the Hokage clasped his hands in front of his face.

“I'll confess that I considered leaving her in your care, but I understand that you already have your share of duties.” He raised an eyebrow, and the woman lowered her head, embarrassment burning bright red in her cheeks. “I wouldn't wish to add to your responsibilities.”

“You wouldn't.” She replied almost too quickly, her shoulders stiffening. She took a deep breath, and determination made its way to her face as she stared at the Hokage with steely eyes. “Do you trust me to carry out this mission, Hokage-sama?”

He merely nodded.

“I trust you to give Sakura-chan some semblance of happiness, and I expect she can offer you the same.” He confessed. “I believe that the two of you would benefit from each other's presence.”

It felt like an eternity had been squeezed into a short second before the woman nodded. Then, for the first time since Sakura started to pay attention to the conversation, the newcomer's eyes moved away from the Hokage entirely and instead turned to the little girl, whom she soon walked to.

In front of her, the woman bent down to her knees.

“So, Sakura-chan, right? Is that your name?” The kid nodded, always quiet, and the woman slowly brought a hand to her hair, gently holding a pink lock between her fingers. “It's fitting.” She said, a small smile gracing her lips. “I'm Nohara Rin. I'll take care of you, okay?” When she made that promise, there was no nervousness shaking her voice.

And, for whatever reason, Sakura just couldn't find it in herself to doubt her.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Her first day in the Academy was hard.

Iruka-sensei introduced her as Haruno Sakura and told the class that she'd just moved to Konoha. The lie made her stomach churn, and the name sounded so wrong that tears immediately gathered in her eyes, although she didn't allow them to spill.

She was no longer Senju Sakura, it seemed, and she didn't know who Haruno Sakura was.

The academic part was simple enough. Nothing the sensei explained was particularly difficult, or something Nee-chan hadn't started teaching her whenever she had a chance – usually when they'd stop by some small town so Kaa-san could gamble. Truly, it was boring, but she didn't complain.

Break was harder.

Sakura had no friends in Konoha, let alone in the Academy, and she had expected the loneliness. Still, it didn't make it any easier to bear it, although it was better than what came after.

The pink-haired girl didn't have much experience interacting with other kids, since she spent most of her life traveling. But she knew that having such a large group surrounding her was not a good thing.

It reminded her of the criminals that had surrounded her family and were the reason why Kaa-san and Nee-chan felt like they could no longer keep her safe. And when the children – especially the girl named Ami – started calling her Forehead Girl and Billboard Brow and so many other things, Sakura hugged her own knees and started crying.

She hated her forehead, not because she cared that it was too big or whatever the girls were saying, but because it was _empty_. She remembered her mother's forehead, the purple diamond that marked it – the Yin Seal, Shizune-nee had called it. And Sakura felt like a failure.

Because, if she had it – if she were stronger – she'd be with Kaa-san and Nee-chan. She wouldn't be in this Academy, surrounded by kids who seemed to hate her for no reason.

If only she had the Yin Seal, Sakura would be happy.

But she didn't, and that reality pulled her down, to the ground, while the other children continued to torment her. It was nothing less than she deserved for being so weak, Sakura supposed.

When she got home, teary-eyed, Rin was lying on the couch. She hadn't been there in the morning, and the girl had assumed that her caretaker had spent the night in the hospital. The weariness that inhabited her features certainly indicated it, but whatever tiredness the medic felt seemed to wash away as soon as her brown eyes found Sakura's red, tear-stained face.

Rin was kneeling in front of Sakura before the girl could even register that she had moved.

Brown eyes searched the child's face. “What's wrong, Sakura-chan?” She asked, and a hand made its way to the girl's face to wipe the tears. Sakura did not answer, a lump in her throat preventing her from doing so, and Rin appeared to take it as a cue to pull her into a tight hug. “Hey, I'm sure they miss you too.” She said, assuming that the girl's state was due to her missing her family. She wasn't entirely mistaken.

_Then, why did they leave me?_ Sakura almost asked, but no word made its way through her mouth. She already knew why they had left her.

Because she couldn't defend herself.

Because she was useless.

Because she was weak.

Rin held her while she cried, no questions asked and, at some point, Sakura fell asleep. When she woke up the following day she was in her bed, and a note left on the bedside table told her that an emergency had pulled the medic back to the hospital. There was also a timid suggestion that they should talk about Sakura's first day in the Academy when Rin returned home, and the pink-haired girl dreaded the conversation before even having it.

Still, she got up and braced herself for another long day.

Class came and went as it did the day before, still too easy and too monotonous, and break arrived with a push that sent Sakura straight to the grass. Towering over her, Ami burst out laughing, and the group that always followed her soon mimicked it.

Sakura remained huddled on the ground, listening to every insult and feeling every kick and shove until the kids grew tired of her. But a sigh of relief got caught in her throat when she saw another child approaching – another girl.

The Senju-turned-Haruno screwed her eyes shut and waited for the name-calling and the shoving, but nothing came. When she dared to look, she found herself facing a pair of pale blue eyes devoid of pupils that belonged to a child with blonde hair who stood far too close to her.

Said child was smiling, and there was no trace of what Sakura saw in Ami's face when she looked at her.

“Everyone makes fun of your forehead, huh?” The blonde-haired kid asked, tilting her head to the side. It didn't sound provocative. Just curious, so unlike the other children that Sakura found it in herself the courage to speak.

“Who are...?” She tried to ask, but her voice, hoarse from crying, could barely carry the words.

The other girl soon responded, and the smile that remained on her lips grew. “I’m Yamanaka Ino. What about you?”

“I’m... Sakura...” She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced the lie to make its way through her lips. “Haruno Sakura.” The name left a bitter taste in her tongue, and Sakura forced herself to swallow it.

The blonde-haired girl, Ino, took a hand to Sakura's forehead and pushed a few pink strands away from her face. “Ah, I see. So, this is the big forehead.” Unlike Ami and her group, Ino's smile had no malice as she spoke. “So, you try to hide it with your hair. You look like a ghost.” She teased, not unkindly, but Sakura felt her eyes watering all the same.

Ino pulled away, still grinning.

“It's Sakura, right?” She raised an eyebrow, and the pink-haired girl nodded silently. “Come here again tomorrow. I'll give you something nice.” Ino didn't wait for a reply before turning her back on Sakura and leaving. Wide forest-green eyes followed her as she walked away.

When Sakura came back to the apartment after class ended, Rin was nowhere to be seen. A bentō that surely hadn't been there in the morning was lying on the kitchen table, making it obvious that the medic had been there sometime while Sakura was away.

Another note had been left beside the lunchbox, with a brief message: ‘**_Busy day. We’ll talk when I get home. Love, Rin._**’

Sakura sighed in relief. She preferred to postpone that conversation as much as possible. She was already a nuisance in Rin's life, and she did not want to make it worse by telling the woman about what she suffered in the Academy. Rin-san shouldn't have to worry about that.

Therefore, when the medic returned home, Sakura pretended to be asleep. The next morning, the pink-haired girl took advantage of Rin's apparent exhaustion to leave before she woke up.

To Sakura's surprise, Ino had been waiting for her. The blonde-haired kid didn't even greet her or say a word before pulling the other girl's head and tying a red ribbon to her pink hair in a way that kept her bangs away from her face.

When Ino finished, she pulled away and examined Sakura with a satisfied grin.

“See, Sakura, you're way cuter this way.” She stated. “You can have that ribbon.”

Sakura put a hand to her face, fingers finding the forehead now free of any strands of hair. Exposed for the world to see.

“Thanks, but-” She tried to speak but was soon interrupted.

Ino's smile faded, and the irritation in her face made Sakura wince. “But what?”

“My forehead...” Her empty, seemingly too big forehead. It couldn't simply stay exposed like that, as if it were something to be proud of when it was anything but.

“They make fun of it more because you try to hide it.” Ino pointed a finger to her face, and Sakura stiffened. “You have a cute face, so show it off confidently. Confidently!”

And Sakura had no idea how to respond to that.

“Ino-chan...” She tried to speak but stopped when her voice failed. She wiped her suddenly teary eyes, and, for the first time since she came to Konoha, a sincere smile made its way to her mouth.

When Sakura returned to the apartment that day, Ino walked with her, chattering about everything and anything. Rin had been sitting on the couch, surely waiting for her, when the pink-haired girl entered the living room with Ino, laughing at something her new friend had said.

The worry in the medic's features washed away promptly, and Sakura knew that the conversation they planned to have was no longer needed.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

The days in the Academy got better. Ami did not bully Sakura when Ino was around, and the girls went everywhere together. It made everything simpler, calmer, and Sakura was no longer so filled with unhappiness with life in Konoha, even though she always missed her family.

She first noticed him by accident. Ino had been complaining about her father forcing her to spend more time with Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chōji because of some clan traditions, and Sakura had allowed her eyes to wander.

He was alone, far from the other children, sitting on a swing that hanged in the shade of a big tree, shoulders slumped and eyes always on the ground. He appeared as unhappy as Sakura had felt on her first days in the village, and she wondered why.

She found herself asking before she could help it. “Ino-chan, who's he?”

Ino looked at her with indignation, unhappy with the interruption, but she followed Sakura's gaze to the boy on the lonely swing. The Yamanaka frowned.

“That's Naruto.” She stated. “You don't want to be friends with him. No one does.” The blue-eyed girl shrugged. She was about to resume her complaint when Sakura interrupted her again.

“But why?” The Senju – now Haruno – asked.

Ino's face scrunched. “I don't know.” She appeared displeased with not having an answer and, for much longer than usual, she remained silent, thoughtful. In the end, however, she shrugged again. “But, anyway...” And resumed her complaints.

Sakura was only half-listening, nodding whenever she felt was right. But she didn't take her eyes away from the boy, who looked so lonely that she wondered if that was what she had looked like before Ino befriended her.

The next day, Sakura spoke to Naruto for the first time. Ino was sick and hadn't come to class, so leaving the pink-haired girl alone during break. Rin had been at home long enough to make some food for both Sakura and her blonde-haired best friend, and, with one bentō to spare, the girl made a decision.

Naruto was sitting on his usual swing again, hands tight around one of the ropes that held the seat while he watched everyone else having fun. Distracted, he didn't notice her approaching until she was right beside him.

Sakura greeted him with a courage she didn't know she had. “Hi.”

He stared at her, startled by her sudden presence, and his fingers tightened around the swing rope. “Who're you, dattebayo?” He asked, blue eyes still wide.

“I'm Haruno Sakura.” The lie still made her stomach churn, but she could not help but notice that it was becoming easier to tell it. She didn't know how to feel about that. “You're Naruto, right?”

“Yeah.” He shook his head as he answered, and Sakura held out the spare bentō to him. He looked at it with wide eyes. “For me?” There was so much disbelief in his voice that she like crying.

She tried smiling at him. “It was for my friend, but she's not here. I thought you'd want it.” Again, she offered it to him, only for the boy to continue to stare at her as if she'd grown a second head.

“Why me?” He asked.

“Why not?” She replied.

He looked away, but Sakura saw his ocean eyes shining with unshed tears. “No one likes me.”

He sounded resigned to that reality, as if it were something he had grown used to. Sakura realized, then, that he was exactly what she had first thought. Naruto was like her – _lonely_. He did not have anyone to talk to him or walk him home, and it did not seem like he had any family around. Much like her, in a way, but still different.

She once had Kaa-san and Nee-chan, and now she had Rin-san. Naruto seemed to have no one.

And Sakura was going to change that.

“Nee-chan...” She averted her gaze, her voice trembling. Her eyes watered, but she forced herself to continue to talk. “Nee-chan used to say we shouldn't judge people we don't know. And Rin-san told me to make some friends, so...” Again, she held out the bentō to him.

He seemed far less interested in the food and more in what she had said, wide blue eyes staring at her in surprise.

“You- you want to be my friend, dattebayo?” He asked in a shaky voice, and she wondered if this was the first time anyone had ever been kind to him.

“Yeah.” It looked like it was all she needed to say.

She was _his_ _friend_ – his first friend, or so it seemed – and the smile that appeared on his lips was a match for the sun itself. Sakura couldn't help her own smile, and the rest was, as people usually said, history.

It wasn't easy, she had to admit.

Ino was less than thrilled to have Naruto tagging along. The boy, for his part, found the Yamanaka annoying and said so to her face. Sakura would usually find herself caught in the crossfire of their disagreements, and she was also often the one to separate them whenever one of their spars ended with the blonde duo rolling on the ground, pulling at each other's hair and scratching each other's faces.

It wasn't easy, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Sakura and Naruto had been friends for months when he took her to his place for the first time. It was in a distant part of Konoha, almost somewhere else entirely, and to say it was horrible would be an understatement. She didn't understand how someone allowed a boy to live like that.

He explained that he could not find a better place, that no one wanted him around, and Sakura felt like she shouldn't feel so surprised. She had seen how people treated Naruto and had punched her fair share of kids and adults alike because of how they acted towards her friend, even if it got her in lots of trouble with the Konoha Police Force and, thereafter, with Rin-nee and Ojii-san.

It shouldn't be so surprising to her that he had been denied yet another basic right such as a decent home. But, still, it was.

There was no point in complaining, though. So, she acted.

“Can Naruto live with us?” She asked during dinner, in one of the very few nights when Rin didn't have to work. There was no better opportunity than that, Sakura supposed.

The medic choked on a mouthful of rice.

“It's just...” She tried to explain as Rin struggled to recover. “We went to his house today and it's- it's so bad. You should see it. He can't...” Her hands fisted. “I can't just... leave him there.”

When she recovered, Rin looked at her with solemn brown eyes for what felt like a long time, but soon she spoke.

“Okay.” She said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Sakura's eyebrows rose in surprise, her green eyes widening. “Okay?”

“Okay.” Rin repeated, and that was that.

Sakura knew Rin had a good heart, but she wondered if the easy acceptance had something to do with the picture that she had seen in the medic's bedroom the other day. It looked like an old photo of four people. Rin was in the middle, still a kid with a smile so wide that her eyes closed. To her right was a black-haired boy who wore a pair of goggles with oranges lenses. To her left, a white-haired boy had most of his face hidden behind a dark mask.

But it was the man standing behind them all, his hands on the boys' heads, that caught her attention and kept it. He was the Yondaime Hokage, Sakura knew. She had seen his face on the monument. And, seeing him in that picture, he looked so much like Naruto that the girl asked Rin about it.

The woman went silent, so pale that Sakura worried that she would faint.

“It's a secret?” The child asked then, when it became obvious that Rin wouldn't answer her initial question. She understood secrets, and she was good at keeping them. Even from Rin herself, when necessary – and, sometimes, _it was_.

The medic looked away, guilt darkening her brown eyes, but nodded, and it was all Sakura really needed. She didn't try asking again, nor did she talk to Naruto about her suspicions.

It didn't matter, anyway.

When the pink-haired girl brought the blonde-haired boy to their apartment to show him what she had gotten him, she made him wear a blindfold and took him to her bedroom – the only other one was Rin's already. Then, when they stood in front of the newly acquired bunk bed, she finally let him see.

At first, he eyed Sakura and Rin, who stood just behind the pink-haired girl, with confusion.

“What's this, dattebayo?” He asked, looking between his friend, the medic and the bed.

Rin was the one to reply then, a smile tugging at her lips. “It's a bunk bed.” She explained, but he still looked confused, unable to understand what that had to do with him. The Nohara placed both her hands at Sakura's shoulders before she spoke again. “We want you to live with us if you want.”

It was something Sakura hadn't considered – the possibility that he didn't want to live with them. She had only thought about how she hated to think about Naruto going back to that horrible place, abandoned by a village that should take care of him. She just couldn't allow it, not anymore.

Sakura felt her heart break a little when she watched Naruto's eyes water as he took in something as simple as a bed. When he engulfed her in a tight hug, repeating his thanks over and over again, she held him just as strongly.

The duo stood there, clinging to each other like a lifeline, and, in more ways than one, they would never let go.

Later that day, while Naruto slept like the dead on the top bed – he claimed it as soon as he finally believed that it wasn't just a dream – Sakura woke up to yelling.

“SCREW THE COUNCIL!” The fog of sleep did little to prevent her from identifying Rin's voice, even though she had never heard the medic speak in such tone. Nohara Rin hardly ever got angry, and it was even rarer when she did so when Sakura was around.

The girl, now fully awake, heard sobs, and she had half a mind to get up and run to Rin, to comfort her like the medic always did to her. Still, she remained silent in her bed and tried listening when Rin spoke again.

“I can't do this anymore, Kakashi. I...” Another sob. “He is just a boy. I can't let him live like that anymore.” Sakura heard a sharp intake of breath, and the sobbing slowly subsided. “If the council has a problem, they can say it to my face.” Her words were unwavering, and her voice was steely, determination burning through the sound.

The other person, Kakashi, didn't answer – if they did, Sakura didn't hear it. Rin's outburst seemed to put an end to the argument, and silence reigned.

Naruto was still snoring on the top bed, unaware of what had happened, but Sakura remained very much awake until the first rays of sunlight entered the room through the window.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Naruto dreamed of being Hokage. Ino dreamed of making her father proud. And Sakura...

Sakura dreamed of seeing Kaa-san and Nee-chan again, and she knew that she needed a lot more power and skill than she had at the moment to achieve that dream.

Her strength was remarkable, although it was nowhere near Kaa-san's, but her taijutsu didn't quite match it. Chakra control came easily to her and as a consequence so did genjutsu, her best subject. Ninjutsu, on the other hand, was something she struggled with, even though she knew the theory flawlessly.

It wasn't enough. So, she trained.

Ino constantly complained that Sakura spent too much time in the Training Grounds, an argument that was actually one of the few that got Naruto to agree with her. Sakura couldn't even disagree, to be honest – she had lost count of how many times Rin went to pick her up, late at night, just to find her passed out on the grass.

Still, it wasn't enough for her to stop. She had to grow strong if she wanted to achieve her dream, after all.

It was on an ordinary day, when the girl was at the Third Training Ground – throwing shuriken at the middle stump, even though she preferred to use senbon, mostly because of Shizune-nee – that Rin introduced her to Yūhi Kurenai.

The medic had promised to teach the girl medical ninjutsu and, even though they were still going through basic things like a first-aid kit, Sakura was looking forward to the lesson of the day. But, when she saw Rin walking toward her, alongside a woman with unruly black hair, she knew there would be no training for them that day.

Sakura threw a shuriken at the stump. “You're late.”

Rin blushed, and her smile was a nervous one. “I know.” She looked away. “I actually can't stay. Sorry, Sakura-chan.”

The pink-haired girl threw another shuriken. “Why?”

“The hospital is a mess.” As it had been ever since Kaa-san left Konoha, or so the child had been told.

Sakura sighed. It just couldn't be helped, she supposed.

“Okay, then.” The girl looked dejected when she nodded, and the next shuriken she threw missed its target.

Rin soon approached her and ruffled her pink hair, catching the girl's attention again. “Hey, don't worry. I brought someone to fill in for me.” She gestured to the other woman, who stepped closer. “Sakura-chan, this is Yūhi Kurenai. She's a genjutsu specialist.”

The raven-haired woman's eyes were crimson – not quite like the eyes of the Konoha Police Force officers' got sometimes, but still blood-red, almost as rare as Sakura's pink hair. But her smile was gentle.

“Nice to meet you, Sakura-chan.” She said, in a calming voice that immediately made the girl feel more comfortable around her.

Sakura returned the smile, and it seemed enough to satisfy Rin, who ruffled her hair again.

“And I'm already late. Have fun, you two.” The medic then kissed the girl's cheek. “See you later, Sakura-chan!” And she was gone with a puff of smoke.

Left alone with the unfamiliar woman, Sakura looked away, uncomfortable.

“Thank you for helping me, Yūhi-san.” She said, a shy smile gracing her lips.

“You can call me shishou.” The dark-haired woman corrected with a smile of her own, but it was soon replaced by a straight face. “Well, I suppose we should get started. Rin told me you're quite smart.” Sakura's cheeks burned red at the praise, but she rejoiced on the inside. “Tell me, what is the most important thing to know about genjutsu?”

A simple question. “How to break it.”

“That's right.” Kurenai grinned. “So, this is how we're going to do it. I'll cast one, and, if you can break it, I'll teach it to you. Sounds fair?” She raised an eyebrow, and the girl nodded in response. “Let's start with a simple D-Rank.”

Sakura watched her perform the technique and tried to memorize the hand seals – snake, rat. Easy enough for her to replicate when the time came.

“_Demonic Illusion: Hell-Viewing Jutsu._”

A sudden gust carried leaves that surrounded Sakura entirely, only to vanish the next instant. The once bright sky gave way to the darkness of night, and the moon shone bright in the sky. The girl was no longer in the center of the Third Training Ground, but with her back pressed against a tree.

There was a man walking toward her, his smirk dripping with poison. She'd never forget his face, no matter how much she tried, and seeing him again pushed all the oxygen out of her lungs. There was no escaping, nowhere to go. Sakura could see Shizune-nee fighting not far from her, but even then she was so outnumbered that she wouldn't be able to help the pink-haired kid.

No one could help her.

“Tsunade-sama, snap out of it!” Shizune yelled at the sannin, who was on her knees, trembling as her brown eyes never once left the puddle of blood on the ground, although it didn't seem like she was actually _seeing_ it. “He's going to hurt Sakura!”

And he was, Sakura knew, watching him walk toward her, a kunai in hand.

She was going to die. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and that man was going to kill her.

She was going to die.

With whatever was left of breath in her chest, she let out a piercing scream.

“SAKURA!” A female voice swallowed her own, and Sakura opened her eyes to see a dark-haired person through her tear-blurred vision. She simply couldn't tell who it was, and the crippling fear weighted on her like a mountain. “Hey, it's okay. You're okay. No one is going to hurt you.” The person – _the woman_, whoever it was – promised.

Sakura couldn't breathe, choking on a lump in her throat. She couldn't move, her paralyzed limbs tying her to the ground. And, no matter how much she wished to run, she remained there, listening as the woman in front of her continued to talk.

“Can I touch you?” She asked, and there was the blur of what appeared to be an outstretched hand.

Sakura wanted to refuse, to run as far away as possible. But, more than that, she wanted comfort, anything to remind her that she was okay. That she wasn't a six-years-old child facing a man who planned to kill her. That she was now eight years-old, and that this was nothing more than training.

Training, she remembered. _That's right. Training._

And finally, she managed to spot Yūhi Kurenai in the blur and nodded in agreement. The woman's arms immediately wrapped around her, and Sakura continued crying, her face hidden in the crook of the genjutsu specialist's neck.

“It's fine.” Kurenai-shishou repeated. “Everything's fine. Nothing's going to hurt you. You're safe. You're safe, Sakura-chan.” She rested her chin on top of the girl's head. “And don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I promise.”

It took Sakura far longer than she cared to admit for her to understand what Kurenai meant. It was sudden, as if light were cast on her thoughts, and she remembered the so-called "ghost" produced by some genjutsu: a shadow of what the affected person saw, which appeared only to the caster.

And Kurenai had seen Tsunade and Shizune.

Still, Sakura couldn't find it in herself to worry about it. The fear and the crying and all the training she had done before Rin and Kurenai got there left her exhausted, and soon she fell asleep on the genjutsu specialist's arms.

Sakura hadn't expected to see Kurenai again after that – after having a breakdown over a D-Rank jutsu – but the woman had been waiting for her at the same Training Ground the next day, a small, shy smile tugging at her lips and another apology on her tongue, along with a proposition to keep teaching her.

The girl didn't quite understand what Kurenai had seen in her, but, if it was enough for the genjutsu specialist to not give up on her, Sakura found that she didn't care.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

It was a new day.

Rin ate breakfast with Sakura and Naruto, as she did whenever she had a chance, and ruffled both children's hair before the three of them left the apartment. Ino had been waiting at the door of the building, her foot tapping impatiently, and she made sure to stick her tongue out to Naruto before smiling at Sakura.

Rin kissed the three kids' foreheads before leaving for the hospital, and the trio made their way to the Academy. Ino and Naruto bickered constantly on the way, always finding new ways to annoy each other, and Sakura took the opportunity to look around the village, just to see Kurenai-shishou talking to a man she knew was Sarutobi Asuma. The genjutsu specialist smiled and waved at her, and Sakura returned the gesture.

This was her life. It wasn't perfect, and she still missed her family so much that it hurt to think too much about them. She promised herself that she would grow strong enough to make them proud, to find them. But, for the time being, she had Rin and Ino and Naruto and Kurenai.

It wasn't perfect, but she was happy.

It was enough.


	2. hydrangea

Under the silver moonlight, Sakura panted, struggling to regain her breath. She was on her knees, icy water piercing her skin as she forced her chakra to keep her from falling again into the freezing lake.

Standing in front of her, with the wind gently ruffling her hair, Kurenai smiled. “I think it's enough for today.” She stated, not unkindly.

Sakura's eyes snapped up. “But...” She tried to argue, but the jōnin put a hand to her head, stroking her drenched pink hair, and so the girl shut her mouth again.

“Hey, you did great.” Kurenai-shishou assured her, and Sakura found herself looking away.

The girl stared at her own calloused hands for what felt like too long. Hands that were still weak, insufficient for the dream she wanted to make come true. She needed to train, to become stronger, or she would never see Kaa-san and Nee-chan again. The mere thought made her heart constrict.

A poke at the top of her head made Sakura look up again, at the hand that Kurenai offered to her.

“C'mon.” The woman smiled softly. “Let's get some dango before I take you home.”

Left with no other choice, Sakura nodded and accepted the outstretched hand.

Just as she had promised, Kurenai bought them both some dango, and Sakura inhaled hers so fast that she felt like Naruto for a short moment. It calmed her raging stomach, at least, and she let the black-haired jōnin give her a piggyback ride on the way home, red blush seeping into her ears and cheeks as soon as she noticed some people staring.

Sakura understood, of course. She was twelve, too old for these things. Still, it reminded the child of when she was younger, before she even came to Konoha. Nee-chan used to take her everywhere on her back, and Kaa-san would simply roll her eyes whenever she looked at them, although she'd also make no effort to hide her smile.

And, while Kurenai was by no means a substitute for them, sharing that gesture with her shishou somewhat quieted the eternal longing in the girl's heart. No matter how old she got, it'd still always be hard to let go of this kind of comfort.

So, Sakura tightened her arms around Kurenai's neck a bit and tried to ignore the staring until they finally reached the building where the girl lived. She also didn't protest much when the jōnin made no move to let go of her and instead carried her inside, climbing the stairs easily despite the added weight.

Kurenai put her down only when they were facing the apartment entrance. Then, the jōnin opened the door, revealing a tired Rin lying on the couch.

“Uh, where's Naruto?” Sakura asked as she stepped inside, frowning. “I thought you'd be helping him with the Clone Jutsu today.” And Kami, did Naruto need the help.

The pink-haired girl winced, her mind taking her back to the malformed image of the clone Naruto had made the night before. It resembled him a little bit but was mostly colorless and unable to do so much as move or stand on its own. There was still far too much chakra wasted on the technique for it to be acceptable by the Academy's standards.

If he didn't get better, there was no way he'd graduate. So, where was he?

“He's cleaning the Hokage Monument.” Rin explained with slow words, exhausted. She kept her eyes on the ceiling, her face blank, but Sakura could see the stress eating away at her. The hospital was a bit part of that, of course, but it wasn't everything.

Kurenai raised both eyebrows. “He vandalized it again?”

“With paint, this time. “The medic hid her face in her hands. “I don't know what to do anymore.”

It was a recurring discussion. Rin spent little time at home, and with Sakura almost always training with Kurenai lately, Naruto was alone more often than not. So, he fell back into old habits, much to the medic's chagrin.

Kurenai crossed her arms and looked at Sakura. “Why does he do that? Doesn't he know what the Monument means?” She asked, frowning.

The pink-haired child sighed. “He does, and that is why.” She saw Kurenai's frown deepen as she spoke. “He wants people to acknowledge his existence. But not just us. I mean the entire village.” Sakura explained, remembering the day Naruto told her, with fierce determination, what his goal was. “His dream... is to become Hokage someday, and to surpass all the previous ones. That way, everyone will respect him.”

It had always been that way, even before Sakura met him. Naruto had been used to cause as much trouble as possible in order to get attention and although he now had people who cared about him, the rest of the village still treated him like trash whenever Rin was out of earshot – no one in their right mind would want to upset Konoha's best medic.

Therefore, he was determined to prove himself in the only way he knew – by becoming someone they would have to respect.

Kurenai's crimson eyes softened. “I see.”

The raven-haired woman said goodbye not long after that and left the apartment. Alone with Rin, Sakura went to the bathroom to get rid of her wet clothes and take a shower. Then, she came back to the living room and walked toward the couch, sitting on the floor near it.

The pair talked about Rin's day in the hospital and Sakura's training with her shishou up until the moment a knock on the door interrupted them.

Rin got up before Sakura could even move, and so she was the one to open the door.

“Iruka?” The medic raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Said man blushed as Naruto laughed and entered the apartment. The teacher, for his part, remained outside, scratching the back of his neck.

“Hi.” Iruka-sensei greeted hesitantly, and a smirk spread across Sakura's lips. Half of Konoha was a little bit in love with Rin – the medic was almost perfect, really – and it looked like the Academy instructor wasn't an exception. “I took him to Ichiraku's after he finished cleaning the Monument.” He explained, looking away. “I hope you don't mind.”

Rin smiled that ever-kind smile of hers. “He looks happy. Thank you.”

The man's blush darkened. Yep, no different from everyone else – most of the people in the village seemed like they were about to fall on their knees and beg for Rin to marry them. Not that Sakura could blame any of them – Nee-san sure was a catch.

“He's a good boy, when he wants to be.” Iruka replied with an embarrassed smile. “Well, it's late. I should get going. Goodnight, Rin-san.”

“Goodnight.” She waved at him and closed the door, either unaffected or ignorant to the teacher's behavior – knowing her, Sakura could bet it was the latter.

Finally, Rin turned to Naruto, who had thrown himself on the couch, and her kind smile vanished. “Now, young man, you and I are going to have a conversation.”

Naruto swallowed, and Sakura couldn't help but chuckle – Rin was a gentle soul, but Kami-sama help whoever managed to make her mad.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Rin walked with them to the Academy the following day. She promised that, save for unforeseen events, she would be there for the graduation ceremony. Then, she straightened Naruto's goggles – she had a soft spot for them – and ruffled his hair before grinning at Sakura and Ino and finally taking her leave.

The rest of the day was quick to pass. The written exams were comically easy for Sakura, and she suspected that Naruto also didn't have much trouble – she had forced him to study everything not so long ago, and he turned out to be quite interested after he found out that the Shodaime Hokage's wife had been an Uzumaki, like him. The taijutsu test also came and went, and both did well.

Finally, they returned to the classroom for their final exam, and Sakura prayed for it to be anything other than the Clone Jutsu for Naruto's sake. He had gotten way better at the Transformation Jutsu – both she and Rin refused to acknowledge the stupid Sexy Jutsu he had invented – and he wasn't bad at most of the other Academy-level techniques.

Well, except for the Clone Jutsu.

Standing tall in front of the students, Iruka-sensei announced their final test. “When you're called, come to the next room.” He instructed. “To graduate, you'll have to do the Clone Jutsu.”

Sakura felt her heart constrict inside her chest, and Naruto's panic was obvious. “Oh, no. Not that one. That's my worst skill.” He held his head in both hands, fingers digging into his scalp.

The pink-haired girl tried to calm him down as the teachers proceeded to call everyone to take the test. When it was her turn, she had no trouble performing the jutsu – training with Kurenai-shishou for so long had many advantages – so she quickly returned to her best friends, who had found the time to bicker while she was away.

Then, finally, came the moment Sakura feared the most.

Mizuki-sensei stepped out of the adjoining room after a short moment and lowered his gaze to the scroll in his hands. “Uzumaki Naruto.” He said, just before he returned to where he came from.

Naruto was sweating, his fists clenched. Panic stained the ocean in his eyes, and Sakura squeezed his shoulder in order to catch his attention.

“Hey, good luck.” She smiled at him. “And remember, less chakra.” He had everything else right, except for the chakra amount. He put so much of it into the clone that it leaked and deformed the technique. If he could manage to control that, maybe he wouldn't be able to make a flawless jutsu, but it should be passable. And it was all he needed.

Next to Sakura, Ino smirked. “Yeah. Good luck, moron.”

Naruto stuck his tongue out at her and ran into the adjoining room.

It wasn't long after he left the classroom that Sakura felt it – his chakra, hot and heavy, oppressive as it leaked into the room. And she knew, then, even before she heard Iruka-sensei's voice shouting “_FAIL!_” that everything had gone to hell.

Ino, who had been babbling ever since Naruto left, went uncharacteristically quiet and pale as she watched, along with Sakura, the blonde-haired boy run out of the adjoining room and then out of the classroom. No one dared to say a word, and the silence was only broken when Mizuki-sensei called for the next student.

The Yamanaka gripped Sakura's hand before the pink-haired girl could run to the door. When the Haruno looked at her, Ino shook her head – Naruto would be in a lot of trouble when the teachers found out that he had left the classroom, and so would Sakura if she followed him.

So, Sakura waited.

When, finally, the last student took the test, she all but ran out of the classroom, feet taking her to the place where Naruto commonly went when he was upset. But, as Sakura reached the swing, no sign of the blonde-haired boy greeted her, and she searched around until Ino finally showed up.

“Did you see him somewhere?” Sakura asked before the blonde-haired girl could even say a single word.

Ino shook her head. “No.” The panic that stained Sakura's eyes must have been obvious, because the Yamanaka held her friend by her shoulders. “Hey. Don't worry so much. You guys live in the same apartment. He'll have to go back there, won't he?”

It was a calming thought, and Sakura allowed herself to take a deep breath.

“You're right.” She nodded. “I should get going.” The sooner she got home, the sooner she could see if Naruto was already there. Perhaps he was, and then she'd be able to talk to him, even if she still didn't quite know what to say.

Nothing could make this situation better, not really.

Just before turning her back on Ino, Sakura caught sight of the hitai-ate wrapped around the other girl's waist. “Congratulations, Pig.” She said then, remembering that she had failed to do it before, since she had been worrying about Naruto. The smile on her face was strained, but sincere all the same.

Ino smirked, but Sakura could see in her friend's pupil-less blue eyes that she was just as worried about Naruto as she was. “You too, Forehead.”

When Sakura got home, Naruto was nowhere to be found – neither was Rin, for that matter. She'd been so worried about the boy that she had completely forgotten that the medic hadn't showed up for the graduation ceremony – something must have happened, then.

So, Sakura waited. Ino was right – this was Naruto's home and, no matter how upset he was, he'd have to come back eventually. There was no point in searching around the village and risk missing the moment when he got home. Therefore, Sakura stayed on the couch, her foot tapping the floor incessantly as she stared at the door.

But, when it finally opened, it wasn't Naruto who entered.

“Hey, sorry!” Rin's smile was bright, like the sun itself, as she entered the apartment. But Sakura didn't have it in her to smile back, and so she simply watched as the medic closed the door with a kick, as both her hands were occupied. “There was this surgery, and it took longer than I thought it would, so I couldn't leave.” She explained while placing the takeout bags on the kitchen table.

Then, she turned to Sakura, and her smile turned even brighter – if that was possible – as her eyes took in the hitai-ate that the newly-promoted genin was wearing – the same way Sakura had worn the ribbon Ino had given her so long ago, keeping her bangs away from her face.

“But I see you graduated. Congratulations!” The medic exclaimed, happy, and hugged Sakura so tightly that the girl could barely breathe. “I'm so proud of you.” She then took a step back, holding Sakura by her shoulders. “Oh, where's Naruto? I passed by Ichiraku's and bought some ramen for us to celebrate.” She pointed at the takeout bags with her thumb.

Then, Rin finally seemed to notice Sakura's face. Her smile vanished in a second.

“Hey, what's wrong?” She asked, a deep crease settling in her brow.

Sakura looked away. “Naruto didn't graduate.”

Rin's face was immediately drained of all traces of color. “Oh no. Where's he?” She looked around but, finding no sign of Naruto, turned to Sakura again, brown eyes begging for an answer.

“I don't know. He ran off.” The child looked down. “I couldn't find him. I thought he'd come back home, so I was waiting for him.”

“Okay.” Rin nodded, but, as breathless as she sounded, it was clearly not _okay_. “Okay. I'll go look for him. You stay here.” She said, already walking toward the door, leaving the girl behind.

“But-” Sakura tried to argue, but Rin interrupted her.

“Stay.” The medic repeated. “I can't worry about the two of you. And it's better if someone's here, in case he comes back.” She opened the door, although her eyes remained on Sakura. “I'll be right ba-”

Her voice got caught in her throat when she turned her head and found herself facing the Head of the Akimichi Clan. The man had his fist raised, as if about to knock, and lowered it when he saw the medic.

“Chōza-san?” Rin asked, not bothering to mask her surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“I have to talk to you.” He said, his face not betraying a single emotion.

Rin nodded, and the man leaned over to whisper something to her. Sakura watched the medic pale even more and, for a moment, she worried that the woman would pass out.

“No.” Rin's voice was little more than a whisper when she spoke again, broken and frail, so filled with pain that Sakura herself couldn't _breathe_. “That- that's not possible. He- he wouldn't do that.”

_He?_ Sakura frowned, but then understanding dawned on her. _Naruto._

“I'm sorry, Rin-san.” Chōza said, looking away.

Sakura walked toward the pair, her heart beating painfully inside of her chest.

“What's wrong, Nee-san?” She asked, worry bleeding from her voice.

Rin turned to her but didn't seem to _actually see _the pink-haired girl, brown eyes staring at nothing. “It's fine, Sakura-chan.” The medic forced herself to smile, but Sakura could see right through it. “Stay here, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can.” Then, she turned her back on the girl again.

“Nee-san...!” Sakura tried to argue, but, next thing she knew, both Rin and Chōza were gone.

Sakura's trembling legs buckled, and she fell to the ground. Something was wrong with Naruto – and she didn't know where he was, nor how to help. Her heart was beating so fast inside her chest that it was painful.

In the end, all she could do was wait. And so she did.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Sakura tackled Naruto in a hug as soon as he stepped into the apartment, hours later. But, instead of returning the gesture, the ocean-eyed boy pushed her away and hugged his own body. Rin-nee stared at him with sad brown eyes and closed the door behind them both.

“I-” Naruto started to speak, but a sob interrupted him. “I have something to tell you, dattebayo.” He tried again, and his voice sounded scratchy and fragile, as if he had been crying for a while.

Silent, Sakura nodded, and so did Rin. Then, the medic guided both children to the couch, where she sat Naruto in between herself and Sakura. The blonde-haired boy took a deep breath and kept his head down before speaking in a small voice.

“Mi-Mizuki-sensei...” Naruto rubbed his face, trying to get rid of the tears that continued to slide down his cheeks. “He- he told me...” A sob shattered his words. “He told me I'm- I'm the Kyuubi.” His hands grabbed his head, fingers gripping and pulling his own blond hair. “I'm the demon that almost destroyed the village!”

He broke down. His sobs filled the air, and tears cascaded down his red face. He remained curled into himself, as if fearing Sakura's and Rin's reactions, and kept his head down, eyes shut.

Sakura felt her own eyes water. “Naruto...” She didn't know what to say. Nothing seemed enough, nothing seemed capable of relieving his pain, and the girl – still far too shocked to actually process what he had said – never felt so useless.

So, she pulled him into a tight hug once again, and, this time, he didn't push her away. Naruto hid his face in the crook of her neck, his whole body shaking while he cried, and Sakura held him like her life depended on it.

Rin, who had remained silent the entire time, sighed. Still holding her friend, Sakura looked up at the medic and was caught off-guard by the guilt spreading through Rin's eyes.

The Nohara took a deep breath before speaking. “Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan...” Both children soon looked at her – Naruto with bloodshot eyes, while Sakura's shone with unshed tears. “I think it is time for me to tell you a story.” In what looked like a purely instinctive reaction, the medic's hand gripped the black fabric of her blouse, just above her stomach.

Sakura frowned, confused. “A story? Whose?”

The smile on Rin's lips was wistful, and she stared straight ahead with brown eyes that didn't seem to see much of anything. “Mine.” She said, her voice small and fragile, hesitant.

Then, Rin lifted her shirt up to her ribs, exposing the fair skin of her abdomen. The dark markings of a seal stared back at the pair of children watching the woman with wide eyes. It was a familiar pattern, one that had been engraved on Naruto's body for as long as he could remember.

The boy's blue eyes were wide with shock as his mouth gaped at the sight of the seal, and Sakura's mouth opened and closed in consecutive attempts to speak until, at last, she managed to force one single word out. “What...?” She trailed off as her voice got caught in her throat.

Rin looked away, and her eyes were bright with unshed tears. “It was a long time ago.” She spoke. “I was a kid. A chūnin, yes, but still a kid.” The medic shrugged, and a humorless laugh made its way past her mouth. “But that's not what matters now.” She looked down, as if unable to meet the gaze of the pair staring at her. “I was kidnapped by Kiri shinobi. They sealed Isobu into me.”

The medic looked up at Sakura's sharp intake of breath.

“Isobu?” It was Naruto who asked, in a small, confused voice.

A sad smile curved Rin's closed mouth slightly.

“The Sanbi. His name is Isobu.” She explained. “The Kyuubi has a name too.”

She continued to look straight ahead, brown eyes staring at nothing. She looked so lost in thought that Sakura wondered if the medic was still aware of where she was.

Naruto's voice was the one to break the sudden silence. “What- what happened then, dattebayo?” He asked, in a mix of hesitancy and curiosity.

Rin released her shirt, allowing the black fabric to cover the equally dark seal again. “Some kind of cursed seal was placed on my heart. It'd let Isobu loose within Konoha as soon as I came back, like it happened with the Kyuubi.” Her smile vanished, and she hugged her own body. The medic looked so _small_. “My teammate, Kakashi, rescued me, but we were chased.”

A lonely tear slid down the woman's cheek, but it didn't seem like she noticed it. Rin took a deep, shaky breath, as if she were on the brink of breaking down, before she spoke again.

“I- I couldn't let-” She took another deep breath, and one more tear escaped. “I had to protect my village.” Steely resolve bled through her voice, and, for a second, determination replaced sadness.

Sakura felt as if all oxygen had been expelled from her lungs. She could see where this was going, and it was something she didn't want to hear - didn't want to be true.

“Nee-san...?” The genin hesitated. She didn't know if she was about to ask what happened or ask the medic to stop talking, her mind devoid of any rational train of thought.

Rin still refused to look at either of the children observing her, and her brown eyes slammed shut. “The cursed seal wouldn't let me kill myself. So, I got in the way of Kakashi's jutsu, the Chidori.”

She gripped the collar of her shirt and pulled a little, exposing a part of what looked like a horrible scar. Sakura had seen it once, a long time ago. It had been an accident – Rin had forgotten to close the door before changing, and the pink-haired girl had passed by and seen it: an ugly scar, the size of a closed fist, on the medic's shoulder blade.

The jutsu – the Chidori, or whatever it was – had gone through Rin's shoulder. Had it gone through her heart, there would be no way around it – it would have _killed_ Rin.

Sakura couldn't breathe – nor could Naruto – and Rin continued to speak.

“He missed. Kakashi saw what I was about to do and he...” She laughed again, just as mirthlessly as before – slightly bitter, even. “It got my shoulder, instead of my heart. The pain made me pass out. I don't know what happened after that.” She went silent, showing no inclination to add another word.

The silence was heavy, maddening, and Sakura just couldn't allow it to continue. “But... but you- you're here...?” It was a question, and it wasn't. The pink-haired girl didn't know what it was, not really.

Rin opened her eyes, and brown irises found emerald ones. “I trust you know who the sannin are.” It was said more to Sakura, who promptly nodded, than to Naruto, whose assent came with a little more hesitation. “Jiraiya-sama is quite skilled with fūinjutsu. He got rid of the seal.” A small grin appeared on her lips as she explained, but it vanished as soon as her attention moved to the blonde-haired boy seating beside her. “I should have told you before, I know. I'm sorry, Naruto-kun.”

“Why now, dattebayo?” He asked in a small voice, staring at the medic with wide eyes.

Rin moved to kneel in front of Naruto and held his hands. “Because I want you to know that there is nothing wrong with you. You're not a demon.” She took a hand to his face and wiped away the tears. “You have such a beautiful heart, even after everything that happened to you, and you're so strong. You're a wonderful person, Naruto-kun, and you should never let anyone say otherwise.”

Naruto sobbed. “Nee-chan...” He threw himself at her, arms tight around her neck, and the medic was quick to hug him back. “I love you.”

The Nohara teared up a little, but her smile was sincere. “I love you too.” She replied, holding the blonde-haired boy like a lifeline. “And I'm so sorry. I really am. This has been a secret for so long that I just don't know how to... not keep it anymore. The only people who know are Hokage-sama, Jiraiya-sama, Kakashi and, now, the two of you.” She explained and then finally let go of Naruto, but her hands never left his shoulders. “It's the only thing that keeps people from treating me like they treat you, Naruto-kun.”

He looked down. “Everyone knows about me?”

“The adults do. They were here when the Kyuubi attacked the village.” Rin replied. “The children don't. They're just influenced by their parents behavior.” She squeezed his shoulder, and he looked at her again. “I'm sorry.”

He nodded and rubbed his face to get rid of the tears. Then, a blinding smile appeared on his lips, although neither Rin nor Sakura knew where the strength for it came from. It was just so _Naruto_, and the other two occupants of the room just couldn't not smile back.

“Well...” He started to speak, and his voice wasn't shaking anymore. “I have you and Sakura-chan and... and now I have Iruka-sensei too!” His smile became larger, happier. “And there's Kurenai-sensei! And Ino too, I guess...” He turned to Sakura with a playful grin, and the pink-haired genin laughed. “And, when I become Hokage, everyone else will respect me too!”

His voice held no doubt – only a fierce determination, the kind that left no choice but to _believe_.

“That's right.” Rin smiled and ruffled his hair. “You'll be a wonderful Hokage, Naruto-kun.”

Later that night, Naruto fell asleep to reassurances that neither Sakura nor Rin loved him any less because he was a jinchūriki – which the medic explained to be the term used for people like them. Sakura, however, simply couldn't fall asleep, and, when she heard a noise coming from the living room, she got up.

She found Rin sitting on the couch, her shoulders slumped. The woman's exhaustion was obvious even in the dark of the room.

Sakura sat beside Rin. “Do you think I should tell him? About...” _Kaa-san and Nee-chan?_ It was left unsaid, but the pink-haired girl knew that the medic was aware of what she was talking about.

Rin sighed. “You're entitled to your secrets, Sakura-chan.” She ruffled the girl's pink hair. “Kami-sama knows that wasn't the last of mine.” Another sigh made its way through her lips.

“But-”

“If the worst happens, and someone else finds out on accident, I can deal with the fallout. I am an adult. You're still a kid.”

Sakura frowned. “I'm a genin.” Which meant being considered an adult in pretty much any shinobi village.

Rin smiled and nudged the girl's shoulder with her own. “Don't be so quick to grow up.” She said, letting out a tired chuckle. “You'll miss being young when you're my age.”

“You're not that old.” Twenty-six certainly was not as ancient as the Nohara made it sound, even for people in their profession – whose life expectancy was much lower than it was for civilians.

Rin let her head to fall back and looked at the ceiling with a longing smile. “It doesn't feel like it, sometimes.” She turned to Sakura. “Just stay a child while you can be a child, okay?” The woman caressed the girl's cheek for a brief moment before rising from the couch.

Sakura stared at her as Rin made her way to her own bedroom. The pink-haired girl thought again of the reason why she had gotten up, the reason why she had come to Rin.

Secrets... secrets were a tricky thing, Sakura knew. They kept pilling up, weighting on her like an unspeakable burden, and she felt like the ones she kept were crushing her, little by little. And the flower that grew slowly inside her closed fist, soft petals pressing against her skin, was one of the heaviest.

“Nee-san...” Sakura called before she could even think to stop herself.

Rin turned to her with a raised eyebrow, head a little tilted to the side. “Uh?”

Sakura opened her mouth, ready to say the words, when a voice that wasn't her own spoke in her mind. _“You must tell no one, nor should you use it – except for when you have no other means to protect your loved ones.”_ Ojii-san had said right after her chakra effortlessly created a flower for him to see. _“You're the first person to have the Wood Style naturally since the Shodaime himself. If that information ever gets to the wrong people...”_

He had looked at an old picture of the sannin, which had the trio as children as the Hokage stood right behind them, and left it at that. And Sakura didn't want to find out the rest of the sentence.

So, she forced a smile. “It's nothing.” She said, hoping her voice sounded more convincing to the medic than it did to herself, and Rin merely nodded before turning her back on Sakura and going to her bedroom.

Left alone, the pink-haired kid abandoned the crushed flowed on the couch, staring at it with guilt-filled eyes. Then, she turned away from it and walked back to her own bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, I'm back! I'm sorry it took me this long
> 
> so, I wanted to start by saying that I didn't expect the response this fic got and that I am so happy I can't even describe it. thank you very much to everyone who commented, left kudos, bookmarked, or just read. seriously, thank you very much!
> 
> oh, and special thanks to both dancibayo and curiousbluepencil for pointing out a mistake I made. last chapter, I wrote Sakura was ten when she met Kurenai, but that was wrong. I wrote that scene a long time ago, and I forgot to change it to match the new ideas I had. I fixed the mistake, but, just so you don't have to read it again: Sakura was eight when she met Kurenai, and it was just a few weeks before the Uchiha massacre. just to be clear. again, thank you for pointing it out and, please, tell me if you see more mistakes
> 
> last thing, the chapter title. hydrangea is a flower, and its meaning is heartfelt emotions. the internet also tells me it can be used to express gratitude for being understood. thought it matched the chapter
> 
> so, that's all. I hope you all like this chapter and, once again, thank you so much for reading
> 
> see ya!


	3. daffodil

It had been a few days since the whole thing with Mizuki.

Naruto seemed to feel better, and he hadn’t touched the jinchūriki subject even once. Instead, he had been excitedly chattering about how he had mastered the Kage Bunshin in one night – Sakura almost strangled him, as both she and Rin had spent months trying to teach him a simple Bunshin, only for him to learn a much more advanced version of said jutsu in a few hours.

In the end, everything was fine, and the day had come for the new genin to be placed on teams of three and meet their jōnin-sensei.

As she did whenever she wasn’t running late, Rin walked Sakura, Naruto and Ino to the Academy. The medic didn’t say much as the trio talked excitedly all the way there, and she remained silent until the three genin were almost inside their destination.

“Sakura-chan, wait.” She called, then finding herself under the attention of three pairs of eyes – two blue and one green. “I have to speak to you.” Rin explained with a small, shy smile before turning to the curious faces of Naruto and Ino. “You two can go ahead.”

The Yamanaka heiress nodded, but the Uzumaki didn’t look like he’d move anytime soon, so the blue-eyed girl took matters into her own hands. She grabbed the boy by his arm and started pulling him into the building.

“C’mon, moron.”

“Hey! Let go of me, dattebayo!” Naruto protested, but his voice soon faded into the distance.

Sakura chuckled at her best friends’ antics and then turned to Rin. She walked toward the medic, who was stiff and looked nervous, which was fairly unusual. The girl’s smile faded as a frown made its way to her face – was something wrong?

The Haruno bit her lip, on edge, as she stopped in front of the Nohara. “What is it?”

“I have something for you.” It was all Rin said right before sticking a hand in the shuriken pouch wrapped around her right leg. She quickly took something from there – not a shuriken, the younger one soon noticed – and handed it to Sakura.

For what felt like a long time, the girl stared at what had been given to her. It was a hitai-ate. The metal plate looked slightly uneven around the edges and the familiar scratches that stared back at Sakura told her exactly where it came from, despite the band of cloth being different – red instead of black. It was the one that had belonged to Senju Tsunade, forever ago.

Sakura felt her eyes water. “This is...” Her voice caught in her throat.

Rin was quick to explain, still nervous. “I took the metal plate out of your mother’s hitai-ate. The band was already too worn, so I had it replaced.” She averted her gaze, taking a deep breath before looking at Sakura again. “I tried using the ribbon Ino-chan gave you, but it was too small.” Then, she took a hand to the hitai-ate, slightly touching the red cloth. “It’s the same fabric, though.”

The pink-haired girl remained silent, still staring at her gift, and the medic cleared her throat.

“Did I overstep?” Rin asked, hands already reaching for the forehead protector.

Sakura hurried to speak, holding the headband to her chest. “No, this...” She looked at the gift, and tears gathered in her green eyes. “This is perfect.”

It really was. The metal band was a part of her old life, of who she had been before Konoha, and the cloth was a reminder of the life she had built for herself after coming to the village. It was a mix of Haruno Sakura and Senju Sakura, just like the girl herself was. The hitai-ate was both, and so was she.

The new genin tugged at one of the ends of the tie that held the forehead protector she had been given at the graduation ceremony to her head. She took it off and handed it to Rin, who put it in the same pouch from which she had taken the red headband.

Finally, Sakura handed her new hitai-ate to the medic. “Help me put it on?” She asked, rubbing a hand over her own eyes to get rid of the tears.

Rin beamed at her, any trace of nervousness vanishing. The medic nodded and took the headband, putting it where the other forehead protector had been, as a hair band that kept Sakura’s pink bangs away from her face.

When she turned to the woman again, the girl engulfed her in a strong hug. “Thank you. I love it.”

The Nohara placed a quick kiss on top of her head. “I’m glad.” Then, the two broke apart, and Rin smiled at the younger one. “I’ll see you later, Sakura-chan.”

“Later, Nee-san.” As Rin walked away, Sakura watched the woman until she could no longer see her.

Then, she finally entered the Academy building. The halls were almost entirely empty, since class was about to start, and nothing interrupted Sakura on the way to her own classroom. Nevertheless, the closer she got to the door, the louder the noise coming from inside the room became.

It was only when she heard Naruto screaming that she hurried inside.

What she found wasn’t what she expected, at all – though Sakura herself had no idea of what she had expected. Naruto stood before a furious group of girls – Uchiha Sasuke's fan club, she recognized – and Ami was holding him by the white collar of his orange and blue jacket. The bully looked like she was about to punch him.

Sakura heard the floor crack before she was even aware of what she was doing, but a single strong step took her to where Ami and Naruto were – she relied much more on her physical strength than on her real speed to move quickly. Then, she held Ami's fist as it was about to slam into Naruto's face.

The purple-haired girl looked at her with wide brown eyes.

“I thought we had talked about this.” Sakura spoke, frowning, and her voice, as low as it sounded, was like thunder in the amidst of the silence that had settled in the room when she held Ami’s hand.

It was so different from how it had been when she was younger that Sakura almost laughed. Once upon a time, she had been dead scared of the very girl she had prevented from punching her friend and would never dare to do anything to antagonize her. But Ino had helped her to gain confidence, as did Naruto and Rin, and training with Kurenai was everything she had needed to finally fight back, which she had done when she was nine.

It was supposed to have been a simple spar, and Ami had been boasting about how she’d beat the crap out of Sakura – like she usually did. The pink-haired girl, in turned, had used the very first genjutsu that Kurenai had taught her: the hell-viewing technique.

If she had managed to instill the fear of Kami in Ami, enough for the purple-haired girl to leave her and her friends alone... well, it just couldn’t be helped.

Still, it didn’t matter at the moment, not when that same girl was trying to hurt one of Sakura’s most precious people.

“What happened?” Sakura asked. She looked over her shoulder and at Naruto, whose face started to redden in what the pink-haired girl recognized to be a mix of irritation and embarrassment.

Maybe he wasn't the best person to ask, so Sakura looked for Ino, only to find her friend being held by four of Sasuke’s fangirls. What the hell?

“Naruto and Sasuke-kun kissed!” Someone yelled.

Sakura blinked and opened her mouth, but, before she could even think about what to say, Naruto himself shouted. “It was his fault! He pushed me, dattebayo!” The blonde-haired boy pointed at another boy, who was sitting ahead of Uchiha Sasuke, the latter looking much more moody than usual.

“It was an accident!” The brown-haired boy screamed, nervous.

Sakura blinked again. “What?”

Iruka-sensei chose that moment to enter the classroom, and so everyone hurried to their own seats. As always, Sakura sat between Naruto and Ino, and the duo, thankfully, wasn’t arguing or glaring at each other, as they often did.

“Starting today, all of you are real shinobi.” The teacher started to speak, seeming really proud as he stared at the students. “But you’re still genin. The hard journey that lies ahead has just started. Now, you’ll soon get missions to help the village. So, today, we’ll create the three-people teams, and each team will have a jōnin-sensei.” He explained. “You will follow your sensei’s instructions in order to successfully complete your missions.” He looked down at the scroll he held. “We tried to balance each team’s strengths...” He kept talking, but Sakura’s mind wandered.

She knew there was no way for her to end up with her best friends as her teammates. Ino had been very clear when she explained that, thanks to her clan’s traditions, she’d be placed on a team with Shikamaru and Chōji – something that was a constant reason for complaint.

Still, knowing that didn't make it any easier, and Sakura at least hoped they'd put her on the same team as Naruto. She wouldn't know what to do without _both_ of her best friends.

A long time passed, Iruka-sensei announcing each trio, before something caught Sakura's attention.

“Okay, next is Team 7. Haruno Sakura.” The pink-haired girl looked up as she heard her own name. Her heart hammered painfully inside her chest. Who would be her teammates? “Uzumaki Naruto.”

“Yeah!” The boy shouted excitedly and hugged Sakura, who was still too surprised to react. “We are on the same team, Sakura-chan! We’re teammates!” His loud voice made her ears ring.

Iruka-sensei cleared his throat loudly, a request for silence, and Naruto nodded. He made no move to let go of Sakura, though, and, as the girl’s mind finally caught up, she hugged him back, beaming at him.

Finally, the teacher announced their other teammate. “And Uchiha Sasuke.”

Disgruntled murmurs echoed around the room, both from Sasuke’s fan club and _Sakura’s_ own – Ino always teased her about it, finding it funnier than it actually was, especially since the whole thing made the pink-haired girl so suddenly shy.

However, Sakura found herself confused when Naruto let go of her and stood up.

“Naruto, what-?” She began to ask, but the boy’s loud voice interrupted her.

“Iruka-sensei, why does an outstanding shinobi like me have to be on the same team as that prick over there?!” He pointed at Sasuke, who sat on the other side of the room, surrounded by his fan club.

Sakura could have facepalmed.

In front of the class, Iruka-sensei sighed. “Along with Sakura’s, Sasuke’s grades were the best of all twenty-seven graduates.” He explained. “And yours were... dead last.” Sakura cringed. While she knew that the teacher cared very much about Naruto, he could be a little... harsh. “You do understand that we have to balance the teams, right?”

Still dissatisfied, Naruto sat back, arms folded. In the silence of the room, even the quiet voice of Uchiha Sasuke could be heard.

“Just don’t get in my way... dead last.” The black-haired boy said.

Naruto got up again. “What did you call me?!”

“Naruto, give it a rest!” Sakura pulled him back to his seat.

It seemed that, even if she hadn't ended up on a team with Ino and Naruto, she would still have to be the mediator between her teammates.

This time, Sakura did facepalm.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

It had been a few hours since the teams were announced. As expected, Ino had been put on Team 10 with Chōji and Shikamaru, and their sensei, Sarutobi Asuma, came to collect them. Even Kurenai had stopped by, though she had crushed both Naruto’s and Sakura’s hopes when she said she was actually Team 8’s sensei and left the room with Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino.

Finally, Team 7 was the only one still in the classroom, as everyone else had left.

“Why is our sensei so damn late?!” It was the umpteenth time Naruto complained.

Sakura sighed. “Naruto, just sit down or something.” She herself was getting restless from all his wandering about the room. It didn’t help that their sensei, whoever it was, _did_ seem to have forgotten about them.

As expected, the blonde-haired boy went on with his complaints. “All the other teams have gone off with their sensei’s. And Iruka-sensei also left...”

Sakura let her head fall into her arms. Her patience was growing thin with each passing moment, and Naruto wasn’t helping.

The girl raised her head again only when a suspicious noise caught her attention.

“Hey!” She got up. “What are you doing, Naruto?!”

Said boy had climbed into a box and was placing a dirty eraser on top of the ajar door. He ignored Sakura’s question and, instead, laughed to himself.

“That’s what you get for being late.” He commented, then coming down from the box. He looked very pleased with his prank.

Sakura stared at him. Finally, she let out a loud sigh and sat down again. “You know what, I’m not getting involved.”

Sasuke scoffed. “Like a jōnin would fall for such a stupid booby trap.” It was the first time he had spoken since he had called Naruto ‘dead last’, and Sakura couldn’t even say she disagreed with him.

No jōnin would fall for a prank like that. It was very hard to reach that level and...

The door opened.

Someone stuck their head inside the classroom.

The eraser fell on top of a white-haired head.

Naruto burst into laughter. “You fell for it! You fell for it! You...!” He kept yelling, but Sakura’s attention was on the newcomer.

The pink-haired girl was gaping. “That... that worked out better than I imagined.” There was even some satisfaction in the stupid punishment given to the white-haired jōnin. It wasn't nearly enough to make up for his lateness, but it made Sakura feel a little better.

Not that she’d ever tell Naruto that she approved of that particular prank. At all.

Sasuke, for his part, was frowning. “Is this really a jōnin?” Sakura heard him mutter. “He doesn’t seem very reliable...” Again, he wasn’t wrong.

Finally, the newcomer entered the room completely. He stared at the trio with one eye – the other was hidden behind the hitai-ate, that served as a makeshift eye-patch. Sakura had the feeling that she had seen him somewhere, but she couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

“How can I say this?” The man finally spoke, looking thoughtful. “My first impression is... I don’t like you guys.”

So... they were off to a great start.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

The white-haired man led them to the Academy’s roof. The trio of genin sat on the steps – Naruto on the right, Sakura in the middle, Sasuke on the left – and the jōnin stood in front of them.

“Well, let’s begin with introducing ourselves.” The man spoke.

“What do you want to know?” Sakura asked.

“How about your likes and dislikes, your dreams for the future, hobbies...” He shrugged. “Things like that.”

Naruto raised his hand for attention. “Hey, hey! Why don’t you introduce yourself to us first?”

That was... a good idea.

“Yeah, you look a bit suspicious.” Sakura said, staring at their jōnin-sensei. The man was very weird, and she still couldn’t shake the feeling that she had seen him somewhere.

“Oh, me?” He asked, distracted. “Well, my name is Hatake Kakashi... I have no desire to tell you my likes and dislikes... dreams for the future... hm... and I have a lot of hobbies.”

Sakura turned to Naruto, not even trying to hide her annoyance. “So... all he told us is his name...” The blonde-haired boy also looked less than pleased, and he glared at their sensei.

Then, suddenly, the Uzumaki got up, pointing at the man.

“Wait a minute, you’re Nee-chan’s Kakashi, aren’t you?!”

Sakura looked at Naruto in surprise before turning to the jōnin. The blue-eyed boy was right. That was the man Sakura had seen in that picture so long ago. The mask was the same, and the white hair looked even more unruly. But it was him.

The man who had saved Rin's life.

The jōnin cleared his throat. For the first time, he looked uncomfortable. Or as uncomfortable as someone could look with a mask hiding most of their face.

“Now, it’s your turn.” He went on as if nothing had happened. “Let’s start on the right.” He pointed at Naruto.

The enthusiasm was obvious in the Uzumaki’s face, and he sat down again. “Yeah! My name is Uzumaki Naruto. What I like is cup ramen.” Of course. Why was Sakura surprised that he was talking about ramen? “What I like even more is when Nee-chan, Sakura-chan or Iruka-sensei pay for my ramen.”

He turned to her with a bright smile, and she found herself smiling back. Then, he looked at their sensei again.

“What I dislike is waiting three minutes for the ramen to cook. And my dream...” He put his hands on his hitai-ate, which he had been wearing proudly since receiving it from Iruka-sensei. “... is to surpass the Hokage and then have the people of this village acknowledge my existence.”

It was a dream Sakura really wanted to see come true, and she would do anything for it. Naruto deserved, more than anyone she knew, to achieve everything he dreamed.

And he was still talking. “Hobbies...” He thought for a minute before shrugging. “Pranks, I guess.”

Sakura stared at him for a long moment. “That’s not something to be proud of.” She deadpanned.

Naruto just laughed and shrugged, and she shook her head, though a smile made its way to her lips.

She was about to respond when Kakashi's voice sounded again. “Now you.” He said, pointing at her.

The girl had almost forgotten about him. “Um...? Okay. My name is Haruno Sakura.” Those words now came out of her mouth without hesitation. That had been her name for six years and had become as real as Senju Sakura. It was the name by which her friends knew her, and, while it was not the name her mother had given her, she found that it didn’t make her so unhappy anymore.

What was the next question? Ah, her likes and dislikes. That one was simple.

“I like training and studying. I also love spending time with Nee-san, Naruto, Ino and Kurenai-sensei.” She turned to the blonde-haired boy, who poked her in the arm, smiling. She grinned back. “I dislike...” That one was a bit harder. What did she dislike enough to be worth mentioning?

Sakura looked at her hands. Calloused hands that still weren't enough to get her where she needed to go, to fulfill her goal and achieve her dream, even after so many years of training.

Weak hands.

“I dislike being weak.” The words escaped her mouth before she even thought much about them. She could feel her sensei’s eye on her, staring at her like he could see into her very soul.

Still, she kept looking at her hands as she spoke. “My dream is to...” She took a deep breath. “My dream is to be strong enough to find two people who are very dear to me.” It was everything she could say without drawing too much attention to herself, and something she had already explained to Naruto enough that he didn’t ask any more questions.

And, as Nee-san had said, she was entitled to her secrets.

Oh, there was one more question, right?

“Hobbies...” Didn’t training and studying count? “Well, I read a lot.” She shrugged.

“I see...” Kakashi-sensei nodded. “Next.” His eyes went to Sasuke, who had been silent during the whole conversation.

“My name is Uchiha Sasuke.” He started speaking, his voice not betraying much emotion. “There are lots of things I dislike, and I don’t really like anything. And... I can’t really call it a dream, but I have an ambition. The resurrection of my clan and... to kill a certain man.”

Naruto pulled Sakura closer so that he could whisper in her ear. “Do you think he means me?”

She looked at him as if he had grown a second head. “No, you idiot.” She muttered back. Though, looking at Sasuke, she didn’t really know much about him. Only that he was the last Uchiha, and that he was good-looking and talented enough to have their whole class fawning over him. Not nearly enough to know who he wanted to kill and that it wasn’t Naruto. “Well, I hope...”

In front of them, Kakashi-sensei spoke again. “Well, tomorrow we’ll start our duties as shinobi.”

Naruto beamed. “Yeah! What kinds of duties, dattebayo?!”

“First, we are going to do something with just the four of us.” The white-haired man replied.

“What is it? What is it?” The Uzumaki asked, excited.

“Survival training.” It was all the jōnin said, not seeming to give it much thought.

“Survival training?” Naruto repeated, confused.

Sakura frowned. “Why is our first duty a training? We’ve had enough training at the Academy.” She didn't usually complain about training – in fact, she appreciated every opportunity she had to do it – but this whole thing was odd.

“This isn’t a normal training.” Kakashi replied. “This time, I’m your opponent.”

“Then... then...” Naruto still looked confused. “What is it?”

Instead of answering, the jōnin simply chuckled quietly.

Sakura’s frown deepened. Something was _very_ wrong. “What’s so funny, sensei?”

“Um... well, it’s just that...” Kakashi stopped laughing, but Sakura had the feeling that he was still smiling behind his mask. “When I tell you this, you guys are totally going to freak out.”

“Freak out?” Naruto repeated, frowning.

“Of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine will be chosen to become genin.” The man spoke, and Sakura stopped breathing for a moment. “The rest will be sent back to the Academy.”

None of the genin dared to say a word.

“I told you you’d freak out.” Kakashi shrugged.

“What?!” Naruto got up. His voice was filled with indignation as he spoke. “No way! But we worked so hard! Then what’s the point in graduating, dattebayo?!”

“Oh, that?” Once again, the white-haired man shrugged. “That was just to select those who have the chance of becoming genin.”

“What?!” Both Naruto and Sakura yelled.

So... everything was for nothing? Their hard work, what Naruto went through with Mizuki... none of that really counted to make them genin?

“Anyway, tomorrow you’ll have to show your real skills on the training ground.” The jōnin went on. “Bring all the shinobi tools you have. Oh... and skip breakfast. You might throw up.”

Sakura gulped. Was it really that bad?

Kakashi approached them and handed each one a scroll. “The details are on this paper. And don’t be late tomorrow.” That was all he said before he vanished.

Naruto and Sakura stared at each other. If they didn't pass this time, they might not be on the same team next time.

There was no way in hell they’d let that happen.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

“I was told your workaholic ways had diminished.”

Rin shot up from the bed, her wide brown eyes searching the darkened room. She allowed herself to breathe again when all she found was Kakashi, leaning against a wall and with his usual orange book in hand.

No Kiri shinobi. No blood. No danger.

“_You’re safe._” Isobu whispered in her mind, its voice far gentler and softer than one would think a Bijū to be.

_Safe_, the Sanbi had said. She was safe.

Slowly, the medic forced her own fingers, which were gripping a kunai, to let go of said weapon. She, then, returned it to its original place, hidden under the soft pillow she had been using. Finally, the woman looked at the only other occupant of the room.

Kakashi didn’t look at her when he spoke, his single eye always on his beloved book. “Of course, if you’re sleeping here, my sources may not be as accurate as I thought.” He turned the page.

Rin stared at him. It had been a while since she last saw him – even longer since they last had an actual conversation. Of course, she had only herself to blame for that.

The comforting voice of the Bijū sealed inside her whispered in her mind once again. “_You can’t expect him to forgive you if you don’t even forgive yourself._” Isobu had said those same words to her more than once over the years, and it didn’t seem like time would make the chakra being give up on trying to convince her.

Truth was... as much as it hurt, she didn’t expect Kakashi to forgive her. How could he? What she had done should never be awarded with absolution, lenience. The medic had allowed her own fear and despair to dictate her actions, and she had almost destroyed her teammate’s life in the process.

No, she didn’t deserve forgiveness, and she’d have to live with that burden.

So, Rin took a deep breath and looked away. She ended up staring at the open window, which let in a light breeze. It also allowed the late afternoon glow of the sun to wash over the room.

“What are you doing here?” The medic finally asked. She still didn’t look at her former teammate, and he didn’t look at her, but she had to know what had him inside the medics’ room when he dreaded the hospital so much.

Kakashi turned the page again. “I met your kids.”

_Her kids_. She supposed that was what they were, in a way. She had legally adopted Naruto – and the only reason why the council hadn’t found a subtle way to punish her for it was her position as Head of the Konoha Hospital –, and, as far as everyone knew, had done the same to Sakura. Still, she thought of herself more as a big sister than a parent, and it seemed like both children agreed.

“And...” _what did you think?_ It was left unsaid, but she knew Kakashi would understand.

“They are...” He closed the book, looking thoughtful. “An interesting bunch.”

Which meant he didn't rule out the idea of them becoming genin. Now _that_ was interesting.

“I think you’ll like being their sensei.” She smiled.

Sakura and Naruto had been very good to her and were perhaps the only reason why she was still sane. Before them, she had been an unstoppable workaholic – no one had enough authority to send her home to rest, since she was the boss – and Rin probably wouldn't have endured her self-imposed routine – punishment – much longer. Her own unhappiness and multiple unhealthy coping mechanisms had been eating away at her, killing her slowly.

They had saved her. And she hoped they could do the same for Kakashi.

The man shook his head. He still didn’t look at her, though he was no longer reading. “I probably won’t be.”

Her smile didn’t falter. “You will.”

Then, for the first time since waking Rin up from her brief moment of rest, Kakashi looked at her. The medic hadn’t expected him to look her in the eye – it had been many years since the last time he had done that – but her smile died when, again, she noticed that he was looking at her shoulder, where a hideous scar was hidden under the black fabric of her shirt.

“How do you know?” He asked, his voice filled with curiosity. Never giving away the pain he held inside. “I doubt they’ll pass the bell test.”

She looked away. “They will. I don’t know much about Uchiha Sasuke.” She had been the one to treat him after the Uchiha Massacre, but the boy didn’t stick around long enough for her to get to know him better. “But Naruto and Sakura...” A soft smile played at the corner of her lips. “They’re special.” She couldn’t think of another word to describe them.

When she dared to look at Kakashi again, Rin found him still staring at her.

“They must be, if they managed to make you come out of this hospital and even leave the ANBU.” He commented.

The medic sighed. “I suppose.” She stared at him, and what little of his face that remained on display betrayed no emotion. “Is that all?” He didn’t reply, and she found herself forced to speak again. “Why are you really here, Kakashi?”

He couldn't have come just to comment on Naruto and Sakura. Not when he avoided the hospital – more specifically Rin herself – like a plague. Not when he still couldn't look her in the eye.

Luckily, he didn’t beat around the bush. “I want you to help me with the bell test tomorrow.”

Rin blinked. “But... but why?” She asked, frowning.

She’d never deny him anything, of course, but his request made little sense. Her relationship with Kakashi had been on the rocks ever since she forced him to almost kill her. It didn’t seem to be something they could ever recover from and, as much as she missed him, the medic had learned to live with that.

So, after so long avoiding each other and speaking only when necessary – an exception would be the night when he came to her apartment out of concern about the council’s reaction to her taking Naruto in –, why did he want her to be a part of something she didn’t have to be?

“_Maybe he wants to make amends._” Isobu suggested. She honestly doubted it.

The white-haired man looked away again. “If you’re right, and I end up being their sensei, I’ll explain.” It was probably the most she’d get out of him, so Rin sighed.

“Fine.” What else could she say?

Kakashi nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He then vanished, not waiting for her to reply.

She stared at where he had been, and a small smile, dripping with unhappiness, settled on her lips.

“See you tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... I'm back
> 
> I'm really sorry for taking so long to update. it's just that I've been really busy and, if I'm honest, a bit uninspired. but I think I'm better now, so here I am
> 
> this chapter makes me really nervous, so please tell me what you think. while I hope you've liked it, I'm really insecure about everyone's characterization. so, you know... feedback is always appreciated (don't feel obligated, of course)
> 
> if there are any mistakes, of course, let me know. I'll fix them right away. for that matter, since english isn't my first language, I'm really confused about what pronoums to use with the tailed beasts. the wikia tells me it's "it", so I went along with it, but, if it's wrong, just tell me and I'll correct it
> 
> as for the chapter title: daffodil is indicative of rebirth and new beginnings
> 
> so, that's all. thank y'all for reading. really, thank you so much. I never thought something I wrote would have such an amazing response. I can't thank y'all enough
> 
> so, see ya!


	4. white heather

Sakura's stomach growled and, not for the first time since she'd arrived at the Third Training Ground, she cursed Hatake Kakashi. He should’ve been there hours ago, and the girl missed the breakfast she hadn’t eaten more by the minute.

The entire morning had been terrible, actually. She woke up to Naruto’s yelling – after he’d spent the whole night training with a motion-less Kakashi-doll and therefore not letting her sleep –, and then found Rin on the living room, not wearing her day-to-day attire.

Instead, the medic had been wearing her usual long-sleeved black top, but with the sleeves rolled-up to her elbows. Her right arm had been wrapped in bandages, and she had been wearing fingerless black gloves in both of her hands. While the black shorts remained, her beige apron skirt had been replaced by a white one, which was also shorter. Her standard sandals and beloved red stockings were also gone, and low-heel, knee-high black boots had taken their place.

It was an outfit she wore to go on missions, something that had become increasingly rare over the years. Sakura had felt her stomach churn – she hated when Rin left on missions.

The brown-eyed woman had smiled and said that she’d see Naruto and Sakura in a few hours, but that did little to appease the girl’s worries. Then, the Nohara had left, saying she still had to go by the hospital.

Left alone with Naruto, Sakura had no choice but to prepare for the day, which was already going badly.

She abandoned her red qipao dress for a red top with the same design as the upper half of said dress and black shorts underneath a short pink apron skirt. She also now wore black gloves, pink elbow protectors and low-heel, knee-high boots – like Rin’s own, as the woman herself had been the one to gift her the boots. Her Nee-chan’s wrist-mounted senbon launcher was wrapped around her right arm, as metaphorically heavy as her Kaa-san’s hitai-ate. Her hair was still long, and maybe she’d cut it – it’d be far more practical, after all.

Then, both she and Naruto had supplied their pouches with as much kunai and shuriken – and, in Sakura’s case, senbon – as they could carry before leaving. Sasuke had already been waiting at the meeting place, but Kakashi had been nowhere in sight.

Sakura was about to just give up and go home to eat something when the jōnin-sensei showed up.

“Hey, guys, good morning.” He had the audacity to wave at them, so calm that he seemed to have done nothing wrong.

Both Sakura and Naruto pointed an accusing finger at him. “YOU’RE LATE!”

The man merely chuckled, not even having the decency to look apologetic.

“I’m afraid that was my fault, this time.” The sudden voice made the genin trio turn around to see the woman who was approaching with slow steps. Rin smiled at them. “I had to sort some things out at the hospital.”

Sakura blinked in surprise, but Naruto was the one to speak first. “Nee-chan? What’re you doing here, dattebayo?” Wasn’t she supposed to be on a mission or something?

“I asked her to help me.” Kakashi spoke as Rin walked towards him. He didn’t look at her, and she stopped right beside him. “As you seem to know, she used to be my teammate.”

The pink-haired girl frowned. “Help you with what, exactly?”

He gave her no response. Instead, the man produced an alarm clock, which he put on the middle stump Sakura had used for target practice so many times.

“Okay, it’s set for noon.” Kakashi explained. Then, he turned to the trio watching him.

The jōnin-sensei removed what appeared to be a pair of small bells, each tied to a thin red rope, from his pocket. He handed one to Rin, who nodded.

“Here are two bells.” He started to explain, lifting the object for the genin to see. “Your task is to take these from us before the time’s up. Those who don’t have a bell by noon...” He stopped for a moment, and Sakura’s frown deepened – she didn’t like where this was going. “Get no lunch. I’ll not only tie you to one of those stumps, I’ll eat right in front of you.”

Once again, Sakura’s stomach growled, and she hugged her own body. “So that’s why he told us not to eat...” She whispered to herself, dejected.

Naruto pointed at Rin; his own stomach no more silent than Sakura’s. “Nee-chan, you knew!”

The pink-haired girl looked at the woman, betrayal shining in her green eyes. The Nohara at least had the decency to look apologetic, a faint blush on her face.

“Sorry, Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan.” She smiled weakly at them. “I didn’t think it’d be a good idea to intervene with Kakashi’s methods. He’s going to be your sensei, after all.”

Okay, so that was... reasonable. The Haruno couldn’t even be mad at her for it – not that she’d been known to ever be mad at the Nohara for more than a few minutes.

“_If _they pass, that is.” Kakashi retorted – he clearly didn’t have as much faith in them as Rin did, and Sakura bit her lip at being reminded again of what was at stake. “As I was saying... you only have to get one bell. There are only two, so one of you will definitely be tied to the stump.” Things were getting worse by the second. “The person who doesn’t take a bell fails, so at least one of you will be sent back the Academy.”

Sakura swallowed and looked at Naruto, only to find him looking at her as well. She offered him a hand, which he took and squeezed – they had to be the ones to get the bells.

Kakashi continued to talk. “If you want, you can use shuriken, kunai and senbon.” His gaze went to the senbon launcher on Sakura’s arm, but it didn’t linger. “You won’t succeed unless you come at us with the intent to kill.”

Green eyes flew to the brown-haired woman beside the jōnin-sensei. Sakura had never once seen Rin fight – she was a medic, not a frontline fighter. Still, even if the pink-haired girl didn’t doubt her Nee-chan’s capability to defend herself, how could she be expected to try to kill her?

“But...” The Haruno argued. “You’ll be in danger!” Her eyes never left Rin, who smiled softly at her.

Naruto, for his part, didn’t seem to even consider attacking their big sister. “Yeah! You’re so slow you can’t even dodge a blackboard eraser! We’ll definitely kill you.” He was talking to Kakashi, as if he had forgotten that Rin also guarded a bell.

The jōnin-sensei stared at the blonde-haired boy. “In the real world, those with no real talent often bark the loudest.” It was all he had to say to enrage Naruto, whose body started to tremble. “Well, ignore Mr. Dead Last and start when I say...” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

Naruto pulled a kunai from his pouch and ran towards Kakashi. The blonde-haired boy had barely moved when he found himself immobilized, one hand on his head and the other gripping the genin’s hand holding the kunai.

The sharp point was then pointed at Naruto’s own head, as Kakashi stared at him from behind.

Sakura gasped. She hadn’t even seen him move.

“Calm down.” The jōnin-sensei said, not seeming to care about Naruto’s outburst. “I haven’t said ‘start’ yet.” He then chuckled. “Well, it seems you’re finally prepared to come at me with the intent to kill.”

He looked around, his eye finding Sakura and Sasuke – the dark-haired boy was so silent that it was almost too easy to forget he was there as well.

“So, you’ve finally acknowledged me?” Kakashi continued to talk, and there was some satisfaction in his voice. “It seems I’m beginning to like you guys.” He let go of Naruto and returned to where he been before, beside Rin. “And you better not underestimate this one.” He pointed at the medic, but his gaze remained on the genin. “Especially you, Naruto and Sakura. She’s far from fragile.”

For a short second, Rin’s eyes widened, as if she were surprised by hearing him say those words. However, the medic schooled her features quickly that Sakura couldn’t be sure if it actually happened, and the brown-haired woman looked at the trio.

“Sorry, kids.” Her smile was gentle and only slightly apologetic.

Sakura smiled back, still nervous, and Naruto beamed at the medic. Sasuke, as usual, said nothing, nor did he react.

“Okay, let’s get going.” Kakashi caught their attention again. “Ready... begin!”

Sakura grabbed Naruto by the white collar of his jacket and pulled him to a hiding place.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Rin looked around, but all three genin had successfully vanished. She smiled to herself, pride spreading in her chest – they had done a good job.

Kakashi didn’t look so impressed. “The most important thing for a shinobi is to be able to hide yourself.” He said. The man didn't speak so loud as to scream, but his voice was audible to anyone near the clearing.

The medic turned to him. “It seems they’ve done a good job, ri-?” She stopped herself as a sudden sound caught her attention. “Huh?”

She had to refrain from sighing. Knowing him as well as she did, the Nohara should’ve never been so quick to assume that Naruto would do what was expected of him, even with Sakura around to force him.

“Come here and fight me!” The blue-eyed boy stood in the middle of the clearing; his were arms crossed. Neither Kakashi nor Rin moved. “I said fight me, dattebayo!” He insisted, a big, confident grin on his face.

Inside the medic’s mind, Isobu made its presence known. “_This boy sure is something._” It spoke. Not mocking, but as gentle as she knew the tailed beast to be. Rin nodded, smiling fondly.

Her former teammate stared at Naruto, unimpressed. “Uhm, you’re a little bit off.”

“The only thing that’s a bit off is your haircut!” The Uzumaki retorted, unaffected, before starting to run towards Kakashi. He stopped midway, however, when the white-haired man took a hand to his own shuriken pouch.

“Shinobi fighting lesson #1. Taijutsu.” The jōnin announced, now holding a familiar orange book. “I’ll teach you about it. Taijutsu is a shinobi’s hand to hand combat.” He explained, his eyes never leaving the pages.

Red blush crept up Rin’s neck, settling on her cheeks and ears. Perhaps she wasn’t the best person to criticize Kakashi’s habits, but, still... did he need to have _that_ _thing_ around in the company of _children_? Of anyone, for that matter?

“Please tell me you don’t make a habit of reading this in public.” She begged in a whisper, staring at him with wide eyes.

The man shrugged. “It’s a good book.”

“I bet.” While the Nohara would always be grateful to Jiraiya-sama for what he had done for her, there was no love lost between the medic and the Sannin’s... erm... literary work.

In the amidst of her own embarrassment, Rin had almost forgotten that Naruto was still present. Kakashi hadn’t.

“What’s wrong?” The jōnin-sensei asked the genin. “Hurry up and attack me.”

The Uzumaki hesitated. “But...” He pointed at Kakashi. “Hey, what’s with the book?!”

“I just want to know what happens next.” The white-haired man explained, shrugging again. “But don’t worry. It won’t make a difference against you guys.”

For a short moment, there was no reaction. Naruto remained motionless, staring at the sensei. Then, Rin watched as a mixture of fury and indignation settled in his face.

“I’ll totally kick your ass!” The Nohara grimaced – she had half a mind to yell at him for his foul language but decided against it. Instead, the woman simply watched as Naruto ran towards Kakashi once again.

With nothing else to stop him, the blue-eyed boy reached the sensei. He then threw a strong punch, which Kakashi blocked with his free hand. So, Naruto jumped and spun around in a kick that the Hatake dodged as he bent down, eyes never leaving his beloved book. The genin landed on the ground again and tried another punch.

Only for his target to disappear right in front of him.

“A shinobi isn’t supposed to get caught from behind... idiot.”

Rin shook her head in disapproval as Kakashi reappeared behind Naruto. The man was crouching, his hands clasped together in a familiar position, the offensive orange book between them. Had she not known him like she did, the woman would’ve thought that Kakashi’s hands were forming the tiger seal – a fire seal –, which was something to worry about.

But she knew better, so all she did was sigh.

“Naruto, run away!” Rin's head turned so quickly in the direction of the sound that her neck hurt. It was Sakura’s voice, and she sounded panicked. “You’re going to get killed!”

“What?!” Instead of following the advice, Naruto also turned his head towards the sound, looking straight into where Sakura probably was.

Behind him, Rin could bet Kakashi was smiling under his mask.

“Too late.” Then, the jōnin-sensei moved.

A flash of pink and red entered Rin's field of vision, pushing Naruto out of the way of Kakashi's fingers. Brown eyes followed the movement until Sakura stopped a few feet away from them. She was holding Naruto by his arm while the boy tried to regain his balance.

The Nohara then turned to Kakashi. He hadn't moved, arms still in the position of what he'd almost done. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“You could try to pretend you’re taking this seriously, Kakashi.” The medic sighed, hearing him chuckle in response. She smiled softly at that – her former teammate seemed to be having fun in his own way, and she was glad for it.

Rin turned to Sakura and Naruto just as she heard the latter speak again.

“Sakura-chan, what...?” He fell silent when he found himself under the Haruno’s murderous gaze. Yes, she was far from happy with what he had done.

“You should’ve just stayed hidden, you idiot!” The pink-haired girl chided, furious. “He’s reading and laughing. He’s just playing with us.” And she wasn’t wrong.

Naruto and Sakura didn't even begin to understand how powerful Kakashi was. And, even though the white-haired man was merely having fun with them, Rin doubted that’d made it possible for her little siblings to get his bell – she herself wouldn’t give them the one she had either.

If only Sasuke showed up, everything would be easier. Sakura had already demonstrated that she was willing to work with Naruto, and it wouldn’t take much to convince Kakashi that the blonde-haired boy was capable of the same. They were thick as thieves, those two.

But the Uchiha... if he didn't join them, this Team 7 was doomed.

Rin’s head snapped up when she heard Naruto’s voice. He now stood beside Sakura, who had let go of him. “But we can’t...” He was trembling. “We can’t fail here!” He joined his hands, with his index and middle fingers from both crossed. “Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!”

One by one, clones appeared with a puff. Both of Rin’s eyebrows shot up, and she counted how many the boy had made. One, two, three... seven? No, there was one more. Eight.

Eight clones.

It seemed next to unbelievable when she thought about how much time she had spent trying to teach him how to make a mere illusion. Still, for the amount of chakra Naruto had, a Kage Bunshin was much easier to create, since it required far more chakra – she was so proud of him for mastering the technique, even if it didn’t erase her guilt for allowing Mizuki to do what he had done to Naruto, in the first place.

Rin stared at the group of clones, but she found that she couldn’t pinpoint which was the real one. All of them were smirking with a bit more arrogance than they should.

One of them spoke. “Hah! My new jutsu! You better not get careless! There are more than one of me now!” _So that’s the real one_, Rin thought, smiling fondly. If the woman managed to find the time for it, she should teach him how to put his clones to better use – Naruto did need some lessons in stealth.

Beside her, Kakashi had remained silent until then. But, when he spoke, there was a slight note of admiration in his voice. “Not just Bunshin, but Kage Bunshin. A skill that multiplies your body and not just makes an illusion.” He turned to the medic. “This is the forbidden jutsu he used to defeat Mizuki, right?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat, guilt settling in her chest, before nodding. “It is.” Rin turned to the Naruto clones and to Sakura, and she found that she didn’t like the idea of fighting them, even for Kakashi. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Her former teammate stared at her – never looking at her eyes, as usual – for a short moment before nodding. Grateful, Rin smiled and moved to one of the trees around the clearing – it was as good a spot as any to watch what would happen.

“You probably can only hold this for a minute!” Another clone exclaimed confidently – _was that actually the real one?_, Rin asked herself. This one threw a pair of shuriken at Kakashi, who easily grabbed them by putting his fingers in the open circle in the center of the metal stars.

The white-haired man looked at his book again, unimpressed. “No matter how many you line up, you’re still Naruto. You can’t beat me with that jutsu.” Even from that distance, the brown-haired woman saw when Kakashi’s only eye in sight widened in surprise. “What?!”

It was then that Rin saw it. Several bean vines sprouting from the ground, binding Kakashi’s body in seconds. Her former teammate’s feet soon left the grass, as the vines started to lift him into the air. It wasn’t one of Naruto’s techniques, surely.

String bean biding technique. Genjutsu.

Kurenai.

No. _Sakura_.

Brown eyes flew to the pink-haired girl just behind the group of Naruto clones. She was kneeling on the ground, hands still forming the ram seal.

And she was smirking. “Naruto, now!”

“You got it, Sakura-chan!” It was the collective response from all the clones, who shot towards Kakashi.

One of the Naruto's circled Kakashi and grabbed him from behind as the others advanced forward. The illusory vines vanished, leaving only the clone holding the jōnin-sensei in place.

“Weren’t shinobi not supposed to get caught from behind?” Naruto taunted, smirking. “Right, Kakashi-sensei? Here comes my revenge!”

It was an excellent plan, Rin had to admit, and, if Kakashi had been less experienced than he was, it might have worked. Even if not effective, it was a worthy effort.

A clone stepped forward and punched Kakashi in the face. Rin winced when, instead of the jōnin-sensei, the one who got punched was _another clone_. Kawarimi no Jutsu, just what she expected from the white-haired man.

For a moment, nothing happened.

The clone who had been punched fell to the ground, taking the one who had been holding him along. The others stared at each other in shock, unsure of what to do.

Then, all hell broke loose as one clone pointed an accusing finger at another. “You’re Kakashi-sensei, aren’t you?!” He yelled. “You used Henge no Jutsu to transform!”

Rin pinched the bridge of her nose as the clones began fighting each other. She’d take a while to heal Naruto when they got home.

Or not – jinchūriki like them never stayed injured for long.

The medic looked at the clearing again only when she heard Sakura's voice. “Damnit, release the jutsu, Naruto!” She shouted, easily holding two clones by the collar of their jackets to stop them from fighting against each other, as they were clearly trying to do, struggling to get out of her hold.

Rin never ceased to be amazed at how strong such a small girl was.

Naruto did as he was asked, and, as all clones disappeared, only a battered and bruised blonde-haired boy remained. Kakashi was nowhere in sight.

“That was Kawarimi, not Henge.” Sakura explained, frowning as she helped him stand up. “He tricked us.” She then looked around, searching for the jōnin-sensei.

Suddenly, a flash of something – like the reflection of sunlight in metal – caught Rin’s attention. Her eyes found its source just seconds before Naruto’s did.

A bell.

So, Kakashi had set a trap...

“A bell!” Naruto exclaimed excitedly, already running towards the object. Rin had to stop herself from going there and stopping him – it wasn't her place, not right now. “He must have been so desperate to escape that he dropped the bell!”

“Naruto, don’t...!” Sakura shouted, but it was too late.

As soon as he stepped to close to the bell, rope tightened around Naruto's ankle and pulled him up, leaving him hanging upside down. Rin winced, and even Isobu seemed to take pity on the boy. “_Poor kid_.” The Sanbi said.

Naruto blinked in confusion before starting to struggle. “Huh? What the hell is this?!”

“Naruto!” Sakura shouted again.

The pink-haired girl pulled a kunai out of her pouch and hurled it at the rope, which promptly broke. Naruto screamed as he plummeted, but Sakura rushed over and caught him before he could hit the ground. Rin smiled with pride to see that the Haruno had dodged – if only narrowly and perhaps not even consciously – the second trap Kakashi had set.

Then, the white-haired man himself reappeared, calmly retrieving the bell he had purposely left behind on the grass while Naruto and Sakura stared at him. “Think before using a jutsu, or it could be used against you.” Kakashi said. “And also... don’t fall for such obvious traps, idiot. I’d have thought that Rin taught you better than that. A shinobi must be able to see what’s underneath the underneath.”

“I know that!” Naruto retorted. He tried to run to Kakashi again, but Sakura held him back.

The jōnin-sensei snorted. “Uhm, I’m telling you this because you _don’t_ know it.”

Rin’s brown eyes widened when a barrage of shuriken and kunai buried themselves in Kakashi’s side, so suddenly that she almost didn’t see where they had come from.

Sasuke. The boy who still hadn’t shown up to help his teammates.

Sakura’s eyes were wide, and she was gaping. Naruto, for his part, looked desperate. “NO WAY! SASUKE, YOU BASTARD! YOU WENT TOO FAR!”

Then, with a puff, Kakashi’s body vanished, leaving behind only a stump in which the weapons remained stuck. Rin didn’t look at the man when she felt his presence beside her, instead focusing on Naruto and Sakura.

“As I said, an interesting bunch.” Kakashi commented, following her gaze.

Rin chuckled. “That they are.”

She didn’t take her eyes out of her little siblings as the duo looked at each other and whispered something that Rin couldn’t hope to hear. Then, they both disappeared into the trees. What would be their next move?

“You don’t have to fight Naruto and Sakura.” Rin turned to Kakashi, in shock at hearing his words. The man was still staring at the place where the genin pair had been moments ago. “I’ll get them. You get Sasuke.” He offered.

So, he had noticed that she didn't want to fight the Haruno and the Uzumaki, even if it wasn't a serious fight. And he wouldn’t force her to do so.

Really, Kakashi was a much better person than she deserved.

“Deal.” She smiled, and he nodded.

Kakashi descended from the thick tree branch on which Rin remained perched. But before going after his targets, he looked up. “For the record, Kurenai’s the one who taught her genjutsu, right?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s see how much she learned.”

Rin watched him go, not saying a single word. While she’d never claim that Sakura could defeat Kakashi – maybe someday she’d be able to, but definitely not now, nor for a while –, the Nohara thought her former teammate would be surprised at what Kurenai had taught the pink-haired girl.

The medic chuckled to herself before coming down from the tree.

She had a job to do, after all.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Sasuke felt her presence with ease. She was making no effort to hide her chakra, after all.

He didn’t turn to her. Not yet. “So, you’re the one who came.”

The subtle sound of light footsteps reached his ears. The woman stopped walking a few feet away from him, and he wondered how he could use that to his advantage. She didn’t appear to see him as a threat, not if she didn’t even bother with masking her chakra – that’d be her worst mistake.

“I hope you’re not disappointed.” Her voice was sweet, gentle. Even though that didn’t seem to be her intention, Sasuke couldn’t help but see that as a taunt. “Kakashi went to teach Naruto and Sakura the shinobi lesson #2. Genjutsu.” She explained. “Let’s see if they fall for it.”

Was she comparing him to those two? Another mistake. Naruto was a complete idiot and Sakura, even with grades similar to his own – and, the dark-haired boy admitted bitterly, sometimes better – at the Academy, was still very, _very_ different from Sasuke.

“I’m not the same as them.” Finally, the Uchiha turned to the newcomer.

He recognized the woman, of course. There was very little he could forget about _that day_, and the face of the medic who treated him after it – Nohara Rin, he remembered – never escaped his mind. She was the Head of the Konoha Hospital, and a very public figure because of it.

Not a fighter, as far as he knew. So why was she there?

“I understand.” She smiled at him, and her sadness was apparent in the gesture.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Was she pitying him?

The woman continued to talk. “Still...” She looked away, and her smile became a little less sad – a bit more excited. “You should try saying that after you get the bell, Sasuke-kun.” A challenge, and a very obvious one.

He had no more time to lose.

Sasuke grabbed three shuriken from his pouch and hurled them at Rin. The woman easily dodged, stepping to the right – not such a pushover, then. But not that good either.

One shuriken broke the rope from the trap the Uchiha had set, releasing a barrage of kunai on the unsuspecting woman. Sasuke saw her eyes widen a bit in surprise, but, just as easily as she’d done with his shuriken, the Nohara dodged, this time by jumping.

Just as Rin landed on the ground, Sasuke appeared behind her, spinning his own body in a strong kick. She blocked it with one arm and grabbed his ankle with her other hand. The Uchiha then used the opportunity to try to punch her, only for the medic to hold his fist with her free hand.

She was making it almost too easy.

The Nohara had both hands occupied, and he still hand one leg free. So, Sasuke adjusted his body and tried another kick, which the woman blocked by raising her arm just a bit, putting it between the Uchiha’s attack and her targeted face.

She hadn't let go of his ankle when she moved, and the new position gave Sasuke the opening he needed. The boy reached his free hand toward the ringing bell, which was attached to the woman's waist.

He felt the cold metal against his fingertips.

That was it. He got it...!

Before the Uchiha could properly grab the bell, he found himself thrown away far more forcefully than the medic’s thin arms seemed capable of. He spun around, landing on one knee.

The woman in front of him was smiling, almost like she was proud. “You’re good.”

As if he needed her to tell him that.

His hands formed the familiar hand seals with ease – horse, tiger. “Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!”

He drew as much air as he could into his lungs, hot chakra spreading into his chest. Then, he blew, and the fire crossed his mouth without leaving a single burn behind. The orange flames widened, taking the form of a giant fireball that flew towards the medic.

Only to stop halfway.

Sasuke’s eyes widened as he watched his giant fireball be swallowed easily by a much larger one, which flew to him with alarming speed. He jumped aside, the blazing flames barely missing his arm. His eyes then followed the dwarf sun, which stopped only when it crashed into the trees with an explosion.

That jutsu... it couldn’t be.

The Uchiha turned around quickly, but Rin was no longer where he had last seen her.

“Below you.” Her voice sounded muffled, and his eyes widened even more.

Sasuke looked down. “Wha-?”

He felt something – a hand – grab his ankle and pull.

“Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu!”

With a speed he couldn't hope to keep up with, his body was swallowed by the earth beneath it. It stopped when the ground had reached his neck, leaving only his head above the surface.

“It’s not my best work, but it’ll do.” Rin commented, that same kind smile still on her face as she appeared in front of him. She had the audacity to look apologetic. “Sorry. Doton isn’t my affinity.”

No, but Katon was, apparently.

Sasuke was yelling before he could stop himself – screw the test. “How do you know that jutsu?!” In front of him, Rin’s eyes widened. “The grand fireball... it’s an Uchiha jutsu! My family’s jutsu! How do you know it?!”

She wasn’t an Uchiha – far from it. That jutsu had been created by his clan and it had become one of its signature abilities. It was used as a coming-of-age rite – Sasuke himself had mastered it in an effort to make his father proud.

That woman... she had no idea of what it meant, no right to learn it. And yet, she had mastered it. To the point of using it without hand seals, if the speed with which she had spat her own fireball was anything to go by.

How was that even possible?

Rin’s smile turned sad again, then it withered until it disappeared altogether. “My other teammate was an Uchiha.” She explained. “He taught me.”

Her other teammate...? Yes, of course. Genin squads were usually made up of three people – plus the sensei. Kakashi had been on of her teammates... who was the other, then?

“Who was he?” Sasuke asked.

It was simple for him to forget that his clan wasn’t remembered only by him. That there were still people in Konoha who had lost friends, comrades. Nothing like what he had lost – nothing could ever compare to losing his family – but, still, every person who Ita- who _that man_ had killed had meant something to someone, somewhere.

And Rin's sad brown eyes told him that, whoever her Uchiha teammate had been, he had meant a lot to her.

“You wouldn’t know him.” She looked away. “Uchiha Fugaku was your father, right?” He nodded as best as he could in his situation, but she didn’t seem to need his answer. “He was the clan head, and your elders never liked Obito very much.”

He could see why, if this person – this Obito – was going around teaching their clan’s techniques to just about anyone. Still, there were more pressing matters than that at the moment.

“Did he die at the Massacre?” _Did Ita- _that man_ take him away from you too?_

“No. He was already dead by then.” She put a hand to her cheek, and only then did he notice that she was wiping a tear that had run down. Then, she turned to him again. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for your loss. I’d never pretend to understand what you went through...” She stopped herself for a moment. “What you’re _still_ going through... but... if you ever want to talk, I can promise I’ll listen, if nothing else.” Her sad smile was back, and he didn’t know what to say.

Rin turned her back on him. She didn't seem to worry that he might escape and attack her – Sasuke himself had almost forgotten that this was what he was supposed to do.

“See you around, Sasuke-kun.” Then, she vanished, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, I didn't take forever to update... now that's what I call a miracle
> 
> it's just... I was so happy with your reactions to the third chapter that I just felt the need to write more and, since I had the time, why not? thank you so much for your comments, your kudos and your bookmarks. oh, and someone added this fic to a collection of fics they loved! thank you so much, really <3
> 
> well, the chapter actually got bigger than I imagined, so I split it in two. and I wanted to ask: do you think I take to long with things? like, should I try and be a little more concise so things don't take forever to happen? please, tell me what you think. I believe that, by now, y'all know how much I love your comments. oh, and tell me if you see any mistakes lying around so I can fix them, okay? I wrote this chapter in a hurry, kinda
> 
> as for the chapter title... white heather symbolizes protection
> 
> so, next chapter we have the conclusion of the bell test and kakashi vs sakura and naruto. I'm not very good at writing action scenes, as you probably noticed, but I'm promise I'm doing my best. maybe I'll get better as I write this fic. at least, I hope
> 
> that's all, I guess
> 
> see ya!


	5. freesia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: SUICIDAL THOUGHTS

“Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu.”

Finding the pair of punks had been disappointedly easy, not that Kakashi had expected something different. They were nothing more than unexperienced genin, after all. Not much of a challenge. The genjutsu he had casted, however, lasted almost less than a second, as the girl’s hands formed the ram seal and she shouted “Kai!”, freeing both herself and Naruto from the technique.

Not such a pushover, then. He could work with that.

“Show yourself!” The girl – Sakura, wasn’t it? – yelled, looking around, trying to find him. Beside her, Naruto was doing the same, turning his head frantically from side to side, eyes everywhere.

Kakashi rolled his eyes but ended up going to the glade where Rin’s little protégés stood. The duo saw him as soon as he landed on the grass, and the sensei watched as both bodies went stiff. They didn’t seem to underestimate him anymore, which, he supposed, was a good thing.

Still, he couldn’t resist the chance to push their buttons. This was a test, after all.

He looked at Sakura. “Your enemies won’t just appear if you just ask nicely.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, and he saw her get ready to make her attack. However, before she could move a muscle, Naruto held her arm, and Kakashi’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. What an interesting turn of events... not nearly as engaging as his book, but still.

Speaking of it, his gaze returned to the page he held open in front of his face. With his peripheral vision, he could see Naruto whispering something in Sakura’s ear, only for her eyebrows to shoot up in surprise. Then, the jōnin-sensei watched her nod, and the boy finally released her.

The pair turned to Kakashi, and he looked up at them.

Naruto’s hands formed the clone seal. Was that the only technique he knew?

“Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!” Just like before, several clones puffed to life. There were far more than there had been before, Kakashi had to give him that, but it still wasn’t enough. Had he learned nothing from the trap the man had set up to him? “We’re going to get you!”

No, the boy hadn’t learned a damn thing.

Kakashi waited for the clones to approach and held his precious book a little more tightly. Then, the attack came.

He ducked when one Naruto attempted a spinning kick against his head, and the blow hit another clone. Then, the Hatake jumped when three little punks advanced on him, trying to hold him. The trio crashed into each other and disappeared with a puff of smoke. Nothing seemed different from the last time Naruto had attempted the technique, but still, something was wrong.

Kakashi found himself frowning as he easily dodged and threw the clones against each other, letting them destroy themselves one by one. Was he missing something?

Wait a minute, where was Sakura?

As if on cue, Kakashi felt his foot slip a bit when the ground beneath him suddenly started to turn into fine sand. He looked down just in time to see the girl’s arm shoot up from the dirt as her hand headed towards the noisy bell.

Her fingers touched the metal, and he jumped away before she had a chance to hold on.

“Damnit!” He heard her curse as she made her way out of the ground.

So, the Hiding Like A Mole Technique. He smirked under his mask.

“A C-Rank ninjutsu.” Kakashi spoke, watching as Naruto helped Sakura to her feet. “Not bad at all.” The clones had been a distraction so Sakura could sneak under the ground and steal a bell. A great example of teamwork, actually.

If only the entire team had been a part of it...

Kakashi watched as Sakura cursed again before saying something to Naruto, green eyes refusing to leave the sensei. Then, her hands started moving, forming several seals that he easily followed, even without his sharingan.

Dog. Snake. Monkey. Ox. Tiger.

His eyes widened. “What?!” He heard his own voice exclaiming before he could stop himself.

It couldn’t be. A genin shouldn’t have enough chakra to perform that jutsu. Kurenai couldn’t have taught her that already.

But Kakashi saw Sakura disappear into a tornado of leaves, very similar to what was seen by the target of the Hell Viewing Technique. Then, he _felt_ a tree rising from the ground just behind him, coiling around him, preventing him from moving.

Demonic Illusion: Tree Biding Death.

It was _raw_. He could feel the chakra moving through the illusion, making it work. The feeling wasn’t quite right, not exactly like a tree, but also not too far from it. The jutsu hadn’t been perfected yet, but the kid had made it work, which was far more than he expected from a genin.

He looked up, seeing Sakura emerge from the tree, just above him. She was holding a kunai, which she then pressed against his throat.

A talented little thing, he could give her that. Still, he couldn't let her think it would be enough.

“An assassination technique is no good if you refuse to, you know, assassinate.” He said. In reality, the technique was most commonly used to perform interrogations, but Kurenai had always preferred to use it to kill the target, and he assumed that to be what she had taught Sakura.

The girl in question smirked at him. “Tell me about it.”

Then, he heard it: heavy steps approaching him. He turned to the noise in time to see Naruto throwing himself at him, one hand extended trying to reach the bell pinned at his waist. Kakashi’s eyes widened once more, and he activated his substitution as soon as he saw the blonde-haired boy’s fingers brushing against the noisy little thing.

He returned to his original position among the trees, hidden from the eyes of the two genin. Those two weren’t bad. Not good enough, of course, but not bad.

Just what would they do if they got separated? He wondered as his hand went to his pouch to get some smoke bombs, that he then threw at the glade. Then, with some hand seals, two clones of his appeared, which he then performed some more seals to turn into the two genin ahead.

Finally, he sat on the thick tree branch and watched the duo go in opposite directions, following the copies he had produced. Sakura seemed to be heading in the direction where Rin and Sasuke were, so he let her go. Instead, he followed Naruto, all the while his mind wondered about what had just happened.

Naruto and Sakura... those two seemed to be very much in synch. They worked well together. It was a shame they didn’t even try to get the Uchiha to help them. They could’ve just gotten the bells together.

Really, a shame. But he had seen many promising teams before, and those had failed either way. Why would these punks be any different?

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Finding Sasuke’s head wasn’t what Sakura had been expecting when she went to look for Naruto, at all. She stared at it, and the raven-haired head stared back, frowning as the boy usually did.

The kunoichi blinked once, twice, three times. The severed head was still there, looking at her with growing annoyance. She couldn’t feel any trace of genjutsu, but her hands moved to form the ram seal either way.

“It’s not genjutsu.” The head spoke, sounding every bit like a resentful Uchiha Sasuke.

Sakura swallowed and took a step forward. She looked around, finding no trace of Kakashi-sensei or Nee-san, before turning to the head again. It was then that she saw a hole, from which the boy’s neck came out. _Double Suicide Decapitation Technique_, her brain quickly supplied.

Not a severed head, then. The girl sighed in relief.

“Need some help?” She offered without even thinking.

Then, her entire body froze. She, along with Naruto, was competing with Sasuke for the chance to become genin. And she had just offered to help her rival.

There wasn’t much time to dwell on the thought, though, for the boy was quick to answer. “No.” He snapped, glaring at her.

She narrowed her eyes and held his gaze. “Get out of there, then.”

The Uchiha said nothing. Instead, he continued to glare at her for what felt like a long time. Sakura didn’t want to be the first to look away, but the staring contest was getting her nowhere. The girl turned her back on him and started to walk away.

She had barely taken a step when she heard the boy’s voice again. “I can’t.” He said, and she turned to him again, the corner of her mouth tilted up slightly. “I’m stuck.” He conceded, looking away. The crease in his forehead was deeper than she had ever seen.

It’d be simple to turn away again, to go away and leave him there. It’d be _better_. But Sakura found that she just couldn’t do it.

Instead, she sighed and went to the boy. Concentrating chakra in her fist was almost second nature at this point, and Sakura punched the earth as she had done so many times before, while training. The ground cracked open, and she stuck her arm through the cracks to look for his hand. Finally, she pulled him out.

For a short moment, the Uchiha looked at her in a way the girl couldn’t decipher. Then, he started to wipe the dirt off his clothes. “Thank you.” She thought she heard, but it had been said in a voice so low that there was no way to be sure if it was real.

Sakura just nodded, looking around for any sign of Kakashi or Rin.

She only turned to Sasuke again when she heard his voice. “There’s not much time left until lunch. I’m going again.” He said, not looking at her. Instead, he seemed to search for a sign of the jōnin-sensei or the medic-nin, both of which were nowhere to be found.

The girl raised an eyebrow at him. That had to be the most words he had ever said to her in all the years they had known each other. Still, such thought was soon lost in her mind, swallowed by the meaning of what he had said.

The weight of the situation fell on her once again. The test, _the bells_. Kakashi-sensei toying with her and Naruto as if they were nothing.

Her shoulders slumped. “It’s not going to work. They’re just...” Her hands fisted. “More powerful than us.”

It was to be expected. Kakashi and Rin were both jōnin, and Rin had been ANBU, a lifetime ago. They were supposed to be stronger, more experienced, more powerful... and yet, Sakura had never expected the gap to be so large.

She looked at her own hand, which was soiled with dirt. How could she still be so weak?

“I already touched it.” Sasuke replied. His features were hard, and his fists were tight. “Next time, I’ll get it.”

The pink-haired girl snorted. “So did I. So did Naruto.” She said, her voice trembling slightly. “That means nothing.”

Sakura thought about Kakashi-sensei, who had fought her and Naruto while reading that book of his, who had freed himself of the genjustu that Kurenai had entrusted to her, who had dodged every attempt the pair had made to get the bell as if it were as natural as breathing.

She thought about Rin, who had most probably been the one to bury Sasuke. Rin, whose specialty wasn’t even fighting, had defeated Uchiha Sasuke, and the boy was no pushover.

The kunoichi sighed, her shoulders slumping. “The difference is just too large.” It was painful to admit, because it meant she was still as far away from Kaa-san and Nee-chan as she had been when she was nothing but a crying child. Still, it was the truth, and she had to face it.

Sasuke glared at her, and, once again, she held his gaze. This time, however, he looked away first, and Sakura frowned as she saw a flash of _something_ cross his features.

“There’s a man that only I can kill.” He said, his voice not betraying a single emotion.

She remembered his words from when he had introduced himself to Kakashi-sensei. His so-called ambition. ‘_To kill a certain man._’ A shiver ran down her spine.

Still, Sakura forced herself to ask. “What do you mean?”

Sasuke turned to her once again, his features hardened. “The people you’re looking for. Who are they?” Her eyebrows shot to her hairline in surprise and, for a while, she said nothing.

“My family.” She then replied, more on reflex than anything else. The Uchiha continued to stare at her, as if waiting for more of an answer. Sakura found herself giving it to him. “They left me here to protect me. Because I was too weak to take care of myself.”

_Weak_.

_Pathetic_.

_Unworthy_.

_Useless_._ Useless_._ Useless_._ Useless_...

Sakura took a deep breath and forced herself to hold his gaze. “I have to become stronger so I can find them again, so I can stay by their side.” Sasuke gave her a curt nod. “You?”

He looked away again. “I am an avenger. I have to become stronger than _him_.” His knuckles were drained of color as he continued to clench his fists. “So I can’t just stay here and do nothing.”

It was Sakura’s turn to nod. She opened her mouth to say something, although she wasn’t sure of what, when a sound that made her stomach churn reached her ears.

The clock.

“Our time’s up.” The words that left her suddenly dry mouth were no more than a whisper.

“Damn.” Sasuke cursed. “Wasted too much time.”

The duo exchanged a quick look before making their way back to the stumps. Neither said a word, and Sakura felt the weight of her failure heavy upon her shoulders.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Sakura found herself sitting on the grass, next to Naruto. Just behind them, Sasuke was tied to the middle stump, his face reflecting nothing but cold fury. Kakashi stood in front of the trio, looking unsurprised, and Rin stood a little behind him, staring at the genin with troubled eyes.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, the sensei spoke. “You guys look really hungry.”

As if to prove him right, Sakura’s stomach turned and roared. She put a hand to her aching belly, seeing Naruto do the same. The blonde-haired boy looked at her with pained eyes.

“Oh, and... by the way, something about the training...” Kakashi went on.” Well, there’s no need for you guys to go back to the Academy.”

Sakura raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Hey!” Naruto beamed, getting up. “Then...! Then, all three of us...!” He didn’t even seem able to finish a sentence, his entire body shaking with joy.

Kakashi chose that moment to speak again. “Yup, all three of you should quit as shinobi.” He said with incomparable calmness, as if he were commenting about something as trivial as the weather, and Sakura understood the words only when the weight of their meaning invaded her brain.

Wide-eyed, she stared at the sensei, whose posture remained the same. Behind the man, Rin watched the trio with a sad look, but it didn’t look like she’d intervene at some point.

It wasn’t up to the medic, after all.

Sakura was torn out of her trance when Naruto started yelling. “Quit as shinobi?!” He took a step forward, toward the man, and despair seemed to radiate from him in waves.

Not too different from the dread that pierced the girl’s chest.

“What does that mean?! Ok! Ok! We couldn’t get the bells, but...” The kunoichi saw him look at Rin for support, hoping for an answer, a way out, _anything_. The medic looked away, and the boy turned to Kakashi again. “Why do we have to quit?!”

“Because all of you are just punks who don’t deserve to be shinobi.” The man said, his voice not unlike before – calm, collected.

It was as if he had been expecting it.

“Why?!” It was Sasuke who shouted, and Sakura’s head turned towards him so fast that her neck hurt. The raven-haired boy was trying to break free from the stump, staring at Kakashi with a look that was nothing short of livid. The green-eyed girl had never seen him act that way.

“Why?” Kakashi breathed out a small humorless chuckle. “Are you guys underestimating shinobi, huh?” He looked at each genin, and Sakura flinched when his gaze landed on her for a short while. “Why do you think you were divided into teams and are doing this training?”

Sakura frowned. “What does that mean?”

Kakashi looked at her again. “Basically, you guys are not understanding the answer to this test.”

“Answer?” Naruto repeated, sounding every bit as confused as Sakura felt.

“Yes.” The sensei nodded. “The answer that helps you pass this test.”

The girl remained silent as her brain raced. She recalled the man’s words. _Divided into teams_...

Divided into teams.

It was then that the realization came crashing down on her.

“Teamwork.” The word left her mouth as nothing more than a whisper.

Kakashi chuckled again. “A little too late to realize that, don’t you think?” He asked, and she eyed him in shock as he continued to speak. “Yes, that’s the answer. Teamwork.” He turned to look at Sasuke and Naruto. “Rin and I were purposely working alone, so that the three of you working as a team could have gotten the bells.”

The bells. _Two_ bells.

Sakura got up, her body trembling with anger. “Hey, wait a second!” Kakashi’s gaze landed on her once more. “What exactly do you mean by teamwork? There are just two bells. Even if we work together and get them, one of us would still fail. What teamwork? This just makes us...” She stopped talking as something seemed to click in her brain, and the next words that left her mouth were simple whispers. “Fight each other.”

Looking back now, it just seemed logical, obvious even. How could she have missed it?

“Of course.” Kakashi continued to speak, still sounding unaffected. “This test is purposely set up to make you fight amongst yourselves. The purpose is to see whether you can forget about your own interests and successfully work together under designed circumstances. Yet... you guys...”

He sighed and took a step forward, towards the trio. His single eye landed on Naruto and Sakura, who had gone back to sit side by side.

“Naruto and Sakura, while I’m forced to praise the work you did together, neither of you even thought about including Sasuke.” The girl lowered her head as the sensei turned to the Uchiha. “Sasuke, you just assumed the others would get in your way and tried to do everything yourself. The duties are done by the team. Of course superior individual ability is important to a ninja, but what’s even more important is teamwork. Individual play can disrupt the team and put your comrades in dangers, and even get you killed. For example...”

He disappeared in a puff of smoke, only to reappear behind Naruto, holding a kunai to the blonde-haired boy’s neck.

“Sakura, kill Sasuke or Naruto dies!” He ordered, and nothing in the visible part of his face indicated that he wasn’t serious.

The kunoichi felt her entire body freeze.

“What?!” Naruto yelled, struggling to free himself from the sensei’s hold.

Still, Kakashi wasn’t letting him go. “You see? If a hostage is taken, you’ll have tough choices to make, and then die. You’ll be risking your lives in these duties.” Finally, he released Naruto, who rushed back to Sakura.

The girl, however, kept her eyes on the man, who had gone to stand right in front of the kunai-shaped structure that Kurenai had once explained to be a Memorial Stone. Rin was next to it, brown eyes not leaving the engraved surface.

“Look at this.” Kakashi rested a hand on the monument, and his shoulders slumped slightly. “The numerous names carved on this stone. These’re ninja who are recognized as heroes of the village.”

Naruto got up again, his entire body radiating determination. “Hey! I’ve decided to get my name carved on that stone too, dattebayo!” Sakura felt the blood drain from her cheeks as the possibility of it entered her mind. “Hero! Hero! That’s what I’ll become!”

And it was so easy to imagine it. Naruto, who was always so eager to prove himself... she tried to shake the thought out of her head before tears started to gather in her eyes.

“Naruto...” Rin spoke, and, when Sakura looked at her, she found that the medic looked as pale as she herself probably was.

Naruto turned to the woman. “Huh?” He seemed to notice the sadness marking the woman’s face, as his body froze, and his warm grin melted into plain confusion.

“They aren’t just normal heroes.” The medic explained, closing her eyes as a single tear ran down her cheek. She rushed to clean it. “This is a memorial. The name of a dear friend is carved here.” The last words trembled as they left her mouth, and the medic turned to the stone again.

Sakura thought of that old picture of Rin’s genin team, the black-haired boy with orange goggles who the medic could hardly force herself to talk about. She tried to swallow the lump suddenly formed in her throat.

“Uchiha Obito?” Sasuke asked, and Sakura frowned at him. How did he know that?

Rin nodded. “Kakashi, Obito and I... we were a team, like the three of you. Obito was the best of us.” She said, eyes never leaving the monument.

The sensei, who had stood quiet, watching as his former teammate spoke, chose that moment to speak again. “You guys...” He turned to the trio of genin. “I’ll give you one more chance. But, after lunch, I’ll make it even tougher to get the bells.”

Sakura swallowed, but, along with Naruto, she nodded with eagerness.

“Those who still wish to challenge Rin and I can eat lunch. But don’t give any to Sasuke.” He turned to said raven-haired boy. “You’re the only one who failed to think of any form of teamwork. This is your punishment.” The man’s gaze fell on Naruto and Sakura next. “If anyone gives him any food, they will immediately fail. I am the rules here. Got it?”

The duo hurried to nod, watching as both Kakashi and Rin disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura let herself breathe in relief for a second before getting up. She retrieved the pair of bentōs and gave one to Naruto. Then, the girl sat on the grass once again, next to the blonde-haired boy. The stump to which Sasuke was tied stood between them.

She started to eat, and the familiar taste told her that Rin had been the one to make that bentō. She sighed with happiness, her stomach feeling less like it’d tear itself apart at every bite.

Then, she heard something, a known growl coming from the tied-up Uchiha.

She looked at him, and he held her gaze. “I don’t need any food.” He said, and, although his face betrayed no emotion, his stomach roared again in protest, too loud for her to not hear it.

Sakura looked at her food and, suddenly, it felt like it was too much. She offered the bentō to her teammate. Because that was what he was, right? Her teammate. Therefore, shouldn’t she care for him as well? “Here.”

Sasuke stared at her as if she had grown a second head, and Naruto looked plain desperate. “But... but Sakura-chan, what’re you doing, dattebayo?!” He shouted, looking around for any sign of Kakashi and Rin. “Sensei just said...!”

The Uchiha interrupted him. “I won’t eat that.” He said, glaring at Sakura. “You’ll make us fail.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “No, _you_’ll make us fail if you don’t eat.” He glared at her as if he could kill her with just one look. “Without food, you’ll be weak. You’ll get in the way and that’ll hurt the team.”

The raven-haired boy looked away, but his stomach was still growling loudly.

Naruto muttered something under his breath but also offered his half-eaten bentō to the other boy. “You can have mine too, bastard. But don’t eat everything, dattebayo!”

Sasuke stared at the duo in front of him for what felt like a long time before looking away again. Then, he nodded stiffly. “Thank you.” He said in a quiet whisper, still not looking at the pair, and Sakura felt a smile make its way to her lips.

She had been halfway into giving him some rice when another voice sounded. “YOU GUYS!”

The girl turned around, as did Naruto, to see Kakashi-sensei standing in front of them. Her legs trembled.

Would he send them back the Academy?

Would he forbid them to be shinobi?

Would-?

“... pass.”

Sakura’s mouth hanged open.

“Pass?” Naruto repeated, bewildered. “But why?”

Next to the sensei, Rin was beaming at the genin. “Congratulations. You’re the first students who ever passed Kakashi’s test.”

Sakura’s eyebrows shot to her hairline. “Wait, the first?” She looked at the man.

“Everyone else would do whatever I told them. They were all just morons.” He exchanged a quick look with Rin. “A ninja must see underneath the underneath. Those who break the rules and codes of the shinobi world are called trash. But you know what? Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash.”

The girl stared at him and, for the first time, she felt like she was really _seeing_ him. And what she saw... was really cool, to be honest.

“That ends the training.” He gave them a thumbs-up. “All of you pass. Starting tomorrow, Team 7 will begin its duties.”

Sakura continued to stare at him, hardly believing she had passed.

She was a genin. A ninja.

She was one step closer to finding Kaa-san and Nee-chan again.

“Yay!” Naruto yelled just before engulfing the girl in a tight hug that forced all the air out of her lungs. “We did it! We did it, Sakura-chan! We’re ninjas!”

She was quick to hug him back, holding on to him like a lifeline. “We did it. We really did it!”

“Nee-chan!” He screamed a bit too close to her ear, but the girl couldn't find it in herself to get angry. “C’mon! We have to celebrate, dattebayo!”

The blonde-haired boy finally let go but remained with an arm casually over her shoulders. Sakura looked at Rin, who had just untied Sasuke.

The medic exchanged a look with Kakashi again before offering the kids an apologetic smile. “Actually, go ahead. I’ll see you at home. There’s something I have to talk to Kakashi about.”

Sakura opened her mouth to ask, but, before she could, Naruto’s voice engulfed whatever sound she could hope to produce. “Oh, okay.” The boy was already dragging his best friend away. “C’mon, Sakura-chan! You’re paying!”

She looked at him with indignation, questions forgotten. “I paid last time!”

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Rin waited for the three genin to leave before she turned to Kakashi. Her once teammate was now standing in front of the Memorial Stone, his single dark eye gazing upon it. She joined him shortly after.

“Now, are you going to tell me what this is about?” She asked as she stopped next to him, staring at the monument just like he did. The kanji stood out easily, and she touched the stone where her dearest friend’s name had been carved.

Kakashi replied soon enough. “You saw them. You must’ve noticed the resemblance.”

Indeed, she had. It was impossible not to. Naruto had always been a bit too much like Obito, and, now that she’d seen him in action, Sasuke seemed to have the same tendency to act as a lone wolf that the man beside the medic had had at the beginning. And then, there was Sakura, the girl who was far too much like herself for it to be a good thing.

Yes, Rin could see the resemblance, even if she’d rather not.

She licked her dry lips. “They’re not us, Kakashi.” It was what she told herself. If she repeated it enough, she might just end up convinced that those two kids who she loved more than life itself couldn’t have the same fate her old team had.

Death or a lifetime of guilt and unhappiness. Neither were things she wished for them.

“They could turn out to be, and I’m not sure I’m the right person to guide them away from that path.” Kakashi said, his voice barely loud enough to break the silence. “I need your help.”

“_That can’t be all_.” Isobu spoke in her mind, his confusion so identical to her own. “_He wouldn’t have asked you to help with the test if it was._” She nodded, feeling Kakashi’s gaze accompany the absent-minded movement.

“You could’ve just asked for it.” The medic stated. After all, there was little she was unwilling to do for him, even if it didn’t involve Naruto and Sakura. “Why am I here?”

It took a small eternity for her former teammate to speak again. “If we’re going to work together, we have to... sort our situation out.” Her body stiffened at the implication in those words. “I think we should talk about that night.”

Rin closed her eyes as the memories flashed through her mind. She could remember the fear, the darkness of the forest, the hurried steps pursuing her, being surrounded and helpless and...

A lump formed in her throat, and no amount of air she tried to pull into her lungs felt like enough.

“_Hey, calm down_. _Rin, calm-_” She could barely hear Isobu’s voice. The always comforting sound seemed to drift away, as if he were walking away from her, and she soon stopped hearing it.

The medic swallowed, her eyes still closed. “We don’t talk about this, Kakashi.” Her voice was a steady sound, if a little stiff, but her hand was shaking to reach a kunai in her pouch.

She could almost hear those steps again, and they sounded _so real_...

“We need to.” Kakashi’s voice brought her back to reality and, as she opened her eyes, she saw a man staring back at her, instead of the boy who had rescued her a lifetime ago. “If we’re going to work together to help them.”

Yes, this was what this was about. Helping Naruto and Sakura.

_Helping Naruto and Sakura_. She had to focus on that.

The familiar voice screamed in her mind again. “_-to me, Rin! Rin!_” He sounded desperate, like he did whenever she had a particularly bad dream that caused her to just... disconnect from the world.

She put a hand to her chest, over her racing hard, and, in a way, she knew the Sanbi could feel it too. “I’m okay. I’m fine, I promise.” She murmured, repeating it over and over again until he believed it. Not that he ever did.

“_You’re not. You-_” Kakashi’s voice interrupted him, as Rin’s attention went to her former teammate.

He was staring at her with an unreadable look in his eye. “Is that the Sanbi?”

“His name is Isobu.” She corrected without even thinking.

The man beside her did nothing but nod before looking at the Memorial Stone again. “That night, after I almost...” He stopped, and she wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to continue, that they didn’t need to have that conversation.

But Isobu’s will to keep her mouth shut was stronger than her own to speak, and so she remained silent as the tailed beast kept reassuring her. “_It’ll be fine, you’ll see. This will be good for you._”

She heard Kakashi take a deep breath, and she closed her eyes again as the man continued to talk. “You were on the ground, and you weren’t breathing.” She remembered it, the pain. It had been excruciating. And still, not even close to what she deserved. “I thought I had killed you. I had tried so hard to protect you, to save you, and...” There was a sharp intake of breath, but Rin didn’t look at her former teammate. “I thought you were dead.”

“I wanted to be.” She said before she could even stop herself.

The medic felt his gaze on her, though she refused to hold it. She took a deep breath.

“_Tell him_.” Isobu said in a gentle whisper, but she shook her head. “_Rin, tell him._ _If not for yourself, then for him. Shouldn’t he know?_” But she kept shaking her head, her eyes already filling with tears.

She took a deep breath. “You shouldn’t have gone after me.” She clenched her jaw, feeling a lone tear slide down her face. “My life wasn’t worth yours and it most certainly wasn’t worth this entire village.”

“_Rin..._” Isobu tried to speak, but Kakashi’s voice overcame his.

“This isn’t about protecting the village.” The man said, his voice breaking a little. She then turned to him, finding a pained look in his single dark eye. “How long?”

She looked away. “I’m not sure I understand the question.”

“How long had you been thinking about killing yourself?”

The medic swallowed. She had never expected him to be so blunt about it.

Isobu’s voice caught her attention again. “_Be honest_.” He asked, his words barely a whisper.

Rin took a deep breath and forced herself to speak before she lost her fragile courage. “Since I let him die.” Her gaze then landed on the kanji carved on the stone, the name of the boy who she had failed to save, and she felt her heart squeezing in her chest.

“You didn’t-” Kakashi started to speak, bewildered, but she interrupted him.

“I’m a medic.” She said, her voice stiff. “It’s my sworn duty to make sure my team makes it back home safe and sound, and, instead, I just...” She forced herself to keep breathing. “Let him die.”

Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder, and she had to refrain from shaking it off. “There was nothing you could’ve done.” He said, and she let out a humorless chuckle.

“There’s always something.” Had she trained more, had she been better... Had she known even an ounce of what she knew now, she could’ve saved him.

And she’d never forgive herself for not doing so.

“Did you talk to Inoichi about this?” Kakashi asked, his fingers squeezing her shoulder a little too much. She merely shook her head. “Did you try again?”

“No.” She answered before he could ask any more questions. “Isobu kept talking me out of it, and I got used to him. I didn’t want him to be alone.” She let out a deep breath. “And then, there were Sakura and Naruto. I guess I can’t just leave yet.” She shrugged.

Kakashi still hadn’t let go of her. “You can’t live your life for other people.”

“I know.” Isobu had told her that so many times already, after all. “I’m... trying.”

She had reduced her working hours in the hospital for Sakura a long time ago and was trying not to go back to the old routine now that the girl didn’t need her as much. She had left the ANBU, which she had entered only to keep an eye on Kakashi, because she didn’t want to risk not going back to the two children who depended on her, even if she wasn’t out on missions very often.

She was trying, and it was everything she could do.

“You should talk to Inoichi.” Kakashi suggested in a gentle voice, and Rin shook her head.

“Have you ever?” The medic looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and he looked away. “I’m fine, Kakashi. Don’t worry about me.” Finally, she shook his hand off her shoulder. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

He stood silent, and Rin was grateful for it. She hugged her own body, suddenly finding very difficult to remain under the eye of her old teammate.

The man, for his part, put a hand on her shoulder once again. “Want to grab something to eat?”

“Kakashi...” She started to say, but he interrupted her.

“We don’t have to talk about this. Not now.” The ‘_but at some point_’ was implied. “But, as I said, we’ll have to work together to help those punks.” A small, fragile smile crept up to her lips at the mention of the genin, especially those she kept so deep in her heart. “I could get used to being around you again.”

Rin chewed on her lip for a short moment, and Isobu’s voice asking “_What do you have to lose?_” was the last push she needed. She turned to her former teammate, who stared at her with nothing short of pure honesty – even as he still refused to look her in the eyes –, and found that she couldn’t say no to him.

“Okay. You’re paying.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, it's me, your favorite girl! (or not. probably not)
> 
> look, I'm really, really sorry for taking so long to update. life's gotten pretty hard and I don't have as much time as I thought I'd have. but I won't abandon this fic, just so you know. as long as someone's still interested in it, I'll keep writing
> 
> by the way, this fic now has over 500 kudos. this is quite... unexpected. thank you so much for all the support you have given to this story and to me, seriously. it means a lot to me. it makes me very happy to know that someone likes what I write
> 
> I was so anxious to post this chapter that I just didn't go over it. if there's any mistake, please, tell me so I can fix it. and I'm sorry if, I don't know, there characters felt too OOC. their characterization makes me really nervous and I'm afraid I'm almost as bad at it as I am at fight scenes. I'm trying to get better, though
> 
> just a detail. I don't remember if the conversation between sasuke and sakura happens in the anime, since I haven't watched it in a long time, but it's in the manga. not exactly as I wrote it, but something similar. his lines are almost the same. I thought this would be a good time to let you know that I'm going to adapt the manga, although I also intend to use some scenes that I like in the anime. just so you don't get confused
> 
> as for the chapter title, freesia means innocence and thoughtfulness
> 
> well, I think that's all. please, tell me if you like it and, again, I'm really sorry for taking so long. I'll try not to take as much time to post the next chapter, okay? promise. thank you so much for reading this, really
> 
> that's all. see ya!


	6. gladiolus

The first day as Team 7 was... _something_, to say the least.

Sakura woke up the morning after the bell test to the sound of a damn _bell_ ringing loud inside her bedroom. She shot up, hitting her head on the headboard, just as Naruto screamed and fell off his own bed altogether. The girl rubbed her sore forehead and turned toward the hideous sound.

Kakashi-sensei stared back at her, unimpressed.

Naruto got up from the floor, his entire body shaking. “Hey, what’s the big idea?!” He yelled, and the kunoichi pulled her sheet over her head at the thunderous sound.

She hadn’t looked at the clock yet, but she could _feel_ that it was far too early for this.

It took less than a heartbeat for a calm voice to reply. “You’re late for training.” Their sensei said, sounding all too innocent. As if he hadn’t kept them waiting for hours just the day before.

Sakura pulled her head out from under the sheet to look at the clock sitting on the nightstand. Her eye twitched, and she turned to the man standing in the middle of her bedroom. “It’s five in the morning.” And he hadn’t exactly set a schedule.

The jōnin shrugged. “So what? Get ready.” He turned his back on the duo and walked toward the door, where Rin had been waiting with her arms crossed and an amused smile on her face.

_Traitor_, Sakura's mind whispered.

“Was that really necessary?” The medic raised an eyebrow at Kakashi. She was already dressed in her usual outfit, looking far too put-together for the ungodly hour. An early shift, Sakura supposed. It wasn’t uncommon, especially considering that the hospital was always short-staffed.

Kakashi shrugged again as he passed by his former teammate. “Yes.” He stated, and she followed him out of the bedroom, closing the door behind herself.

The silence spread across the bedroom, and Sakura exchanged a long-suffering look with Naruto. Then, she forced herself to get up from her warm, comfortable bed.

No one had ever said that being a shinobi would be easy.

It took about fifteen minutes, but finally, Sakura left the room with Naruto, both wearing the same clothes as the day before. She found Kakashi and Rin sitting together on the opposite ends of the couch, and, to her surprise, Sasuke standing near the front door, with his arms crossed.

The Uchiha was wearing his usual clothes as well and looking like... like something had crawled up his butt and died, to put it bluntly. The girl couldn’t even find it in herself to judge him, since she probably looked the same.

Rin then got up from the couch. “I’ll leave them to you.” She said, looking at Kakashi with a grin that didn’t quite reach her eyes but still managed to be soft, gentle. Then, she turned to her young protégés. “Have fun.” Her smile became a bit more sincere, although still tight around the edges, and she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

So much for a door.

Kakashi-sensei was the next to get up. “Let’s go.” He said, already heading for the door.

Sakura groaned and moved to follow him, but she stopped on her tracks as Naruto replied. “But...! But we didn’t even eat anything yet! What about breakfast?!” He sounded confused and his voice was a near yell. Still, he had a point.

The jōnin didn’t stop walking as he spoke. “You should’ve gotten up earlier, then.” He stated just before opening the front door and holding it open for the genin. “After you.”

He then guided them to the deserted outskirts of the village, where he stood in front of the genin.

“Why are we here?” Sasuke, who had remained quiet all the way there, was the first to break the silence. He sounded as grumpy as he looked, despite his attempt to appear indifferent.

“We’re here because you’re punks with pathetic stamina and we need to remedy that.” The jōnin answered nonchalantly before shrugging. “Or so I was told.” He added, appearing deep in thought for a short second before addressing the children again. “So, let’s start by running a lap around the village.”

Sakura stared at him. “The village?”

“Yes.” He nodded.

“The _whole_ village?” She repeated, hoping she had heard wrong. Kurenai-sensei had always been fond of making her do enough exercises to feel like all her muscles had turned into jelly, but this was ridiculous.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. “Did I stutter?” Okay, so he was serious. “Now, get going. We don’t have all day.” He shooed them like someone would do to a cat they didn’t like, and trio started to run.

Sakura picked up a comfortable pace beside Naruto, who seemed to be too focused on running to complain, as his frown suggested he wanted to do. Sasuke was on her other side, a bit further away, and he ran a little faster, ahead of them.

It took a second for Naruto to notice, and then he forced himself to run faster, getting a little ahead of the Uchiha, who then started to run even more. It was all it took for the training to turn into a competition.

_Boys..._ Sakura sighed.

Still, she’d be damned if she allowed them to leave her behind, so she started to run faster as well.

Both Naruto and Sasuke could run a lot faster than she could – Naruto for having a lot of practice running away from the ANBU, and Sasuke for training alone, most probably –, but every chakra-infused step of hers was equivalent to five of the two boys’, and, soon, they were all neck-to-neck.

It was close to noon, after three quarters of the lap, when Sakura’s aching legs gave out. She heard more than saw both Naruto and Sasuke collapsing on each side of her, panting just as she did. Her entire body was hurting and covered in sweat, and her legs felt like they were on fire.

Kakashi stood in front of them, looking just as unimpressed as he had earlier.

He sighed before speaking. “You have an hour for lunch. Then, we have a mission.” It was all he said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Sakura swallowed a groan and then forced herself to get up, her legs shaking. Her empty stomach ached, and she pulled Naruto to Ichiraku’s as fast as she could manage.

(She’d deny the seven bowls of ramen she’d had then until her death.)

Then, there was the _mission_, if she could even call it that: a runaway _cat_. Which, really, wouldn’t have been such a problem if she hadn’t been feeling like her bones had turned to dust. The result was an entire afternoon spent tracking down and trying to catch the little demon, _Tora_, to hand it over to its owner.

And if she felt a little vindicated as she watched the devious creature being squished by its owner – honestly, she could understand why the cat would run away –, well, no one could blame her.

Then, as they left the building after delivering the damn cat to its owner – the Fire Daimyo’s wife, Shijimi-sama, no less – Kakashi spoke again. “Now, I know you’re not tired yet, so eat something and then find me at the Third Training Ground in one hour.” Again, he didn't give them any time to respond, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Sakura groaned, Naruto whined, Sasuke glared. Still, the first two headed to Ichiraku’s again, and the latter went to... wherever he had gone to for lunch, perhaps.

The pink-haired girl was tired, sore and feeling absolutely disgusting when she got to the familiar Training Ground, Naruto dragging his feet behind her. She looked around, finding no sign of their sensei, before allowing herself to fall to the floor, sitting with her back against a tree. Her best friend slash brother took the place beside her.

Minutes passed, and Sasuke arrived. He stared at his team, frowning, and remained standing, without saying a single word. Sakura watched him constantly shift his weight from one leg to the other before he finally gave up, sitting on the ground as well.

She smirked then, exhausted but satisfied.

More time passed, and the kunoichi had been about to fall asleep when a voice interrupted the night's silence. “Hey.” Kakashi waved at them as he approached, nothing in the visible part of his face indicating any shame for being late. _Again_.

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at him. “You’re late!” He yelled, though not as enthusiastically as he’d usually have. He was exhausted too.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. “You see, there was this black cat and I...” Another voice interrupted him.

“You could try a more convincing lie, you know.” Sakura’s eyes snapped up at the sound and she saw Rin walking toward the group, a small grin on her face. However, like in the morning, it was strained, not quite reaching her eyes.

The kunoichi found herself frowning. “Nee-san? What’re you doing here?”

“I’m here to help with Team 7’s training, of course.” Rin stated, stopping beside her ex-teammate.

Beside Sakura, Naruto groaned, slumping against the tree. “More training?” His words reminded the girl of the pain that persisted under her skin, ingrained in every muscle and bone. She’d never been one to refuse training, but she had to admit that the prospect wasn’t looking very appealing right now.

Finally taking in the kids’ tattered appearance, Rin turned to the man beside her. “Kakashi, I told you to train them, not to run them ragged.” She raised an eyebrow.

“Is there a difference?” Kakashi shrugged, again sounding all too innocent. Then, he turned to the trio of genin. “Okay, before we start, I want to talk to you about the shinobi ability, chakra.” The jōnin pointed at the medic. “Rin, you’re the specialist.”

A small tinge of pink appeared on the woman’s cheeks, but she remained otherwise unresponsive as she started to speak. “I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but it never hurts to review.” She said with a gentle confidence. “Simply put, chakra’s the energy a shinobi needs when performing a jutsu. That energy has two parts. The body energy, that is in each of the billions of your cells, and the spiritual energy gained through training and other experiences.”

Sakura had heard it all before, from both Rin and Kurenai, but she found herself listening intently all the same. Like the medic had said, it never hurt to review.

The brown-eyed woman, for her part, continued to speak. “These two parts are combined. So, by bringing out and releasing chakra, you can use a jutsu. This is done by performing a seal with the hands.” A flash of _something_ crossed her eyes and, suddenly, the medic looked more enthusiastic than before. “Like this.”

She walked to the edge of the lake and stood there for a short while.

Then...

“Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!”

Rin breathed out gigantic, bright orange flames, which took the shape of three enormous dragons as they made their way to the middle of the waterbody. The fire coiled, making itself into a vortex just before the flames shot into the night sky and dove again into the lake, colliding with water in an explosion of steam.

Sakura couldn’t remember exactly when she had gotten up, but she stood there, looking at where the fire had vanished, her mouth hanging open.

“Wow, Nee-chan, that was so cool, dattebayo!” Beside her, Naruto yelled in excitement, all the previous exhaustion long forgotten. “Why did you never teach us that?” He asked while Rin made her way back to the group.

The medic chucked. “You’re still too young for a B-Rank ninjutsu, Naruto.” She stated just before bursting into laughter at the sight of the boy’s pout. “Let’s see how things progress and I’ll think about it.” She promised, making the genin smile brightly. “Well, we should start.”

“We can already use jutsu.” Sasuke pointed out, speaking for the first time since the pair of jōnin arrived.

Sakura looked at him out of the corner of her eye, finding the raven-haired boy with an expression of barely disguised interest. His gaze was fixed on the medic, and the kunoichi had no doubt that he wanted to learn that jutsu as much as Naruto did.

“Nope!” Kakashi intervened. “You guys are not using chakra properly.”

The girl felt her heart seize beating inside her chest for a moment before it restarted at full speed. But it was Naruto who broke the silence that followed the man’s statement.

“What?!”

Kakashi sighed. “Listen, like Rin explained, to release chakra means to bring out physical and spiritual energy and mix them together within your body. And, based on what jutsu you use, the type and amount of chakra that is released will be different. You guys aren’t using your chakra effectively yet. Among you, I’d say Sakura is the best at it.” He looked at her then.

The girl stared back at him in surprise, not knowing exactly how to respond. She could feel Naruto looking at her in awe just as much as she could feel Sasuke glaring.

“I... am?” It was everything she managed to say, relief slowly making its way to her chest.

“Yes.” Kakashi nodded. “That genjutsu you used during the test... Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death. It’s a B-Rank and, though you need to work on perfecting it, you still managed to cast it. An impressive feat for a genin.” He tilted his head in acknowledgment, and she felt a smile and a blush spread in her face.

Then, the man turned to Naruto and Sasuke.

“Moving on... even if you’re able to release a high amount of chakra, unless you control it properly, the jutsu will be weakened or not work at all. And, by wasting energy, you won’t be able to fight as long. These kinds of weaknesses will appear.”

Sakura felt her hand closing into a fist. Weak was something she couldn’t afford to be.

Not anymore.

Naruto raised a hand, like he had never bothered to do at the Academy. “So, what do we do, dattebayo?”

“Learn how to control it through very tough training.” Kakashi replied, nonchalantly as usual.

Sakura tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “What are we going to do?”

The sensei stared at the trio for what felt like a long time. He seemed to have a flair for the dramatic, if the ‘You... pass.’ from the day before was anything to go by.

Finally, he spoke. “Tree climbing.” The simplicity of the words made Sakura blink.

“That sounds boring, dattebayo!” Naruto exclaimed, crossing his arms.

It was Sakura’s turn to raise her hand as if they were still inside of a classroom. “Um, sensei...” He eyed her with curiosity. “I know how to do that already.” Her left ear ringed as she heard Naruto yelling ‘_what?!_’ again, and she could feel Sasuke’s gaze on her once more, but she kept her attention on Kakashi.

He stared at her for a short second. “Really?” She nodded. “In that case, care to demonstrate?”

She took a deep breath and turned to the tree she had been leaning against before. Then, the kunoichi lifted a leg and put the sole of her foot against the wood, letting her chakra flow to the vertical surface. Then, she put on the other foot and kept walking upwards until she found a thick enough trunk, which she sat on.

She could remember learning how to do that, how Kurenai had stood close by during every step.

_“You don’t have to worry. I’ll catch you if you fall, okay?” The sensei promised, and Sakura had no choice but to believe her earnest words._

It was a dear memory, and she found herself missing the red-eyed woman. Still, she turned to the people on the ground, watching Kakashi look at the other two genin, who stared at her, bewildered.

“You understand now?” The sensei broke the silence, catching the boys’ attention. “Gather chakra in the bottom of your feet and climb up a tree. It’s something you can do once you can use chakra well.” He explained.

“But how is learning to climb a tree going to make us stronger, dattebayo?” Naruto asked, turning to look at Sakura again, and the girl simply grinned at him.

Rin walked toward him and put a hand on his shoulder. “First, this exercise will teach you to control chakra.” The medic stated. “To bring out the proper amount of chakra to the proper area. This can be difficult even for a skilled ninja. The amount of chakra needed to climb a tree is small, but it must be exact, and the bottom of the feet is the most difficult area to gather chakra. Basically, if you can learn this control, you should be able to master any jutsu.” She squeezed his shoulder. “Theoretically.”

Naruto beamed at her, and Kakashi started speaking again.

“The second thing is for you to develop the stamina needed to control chakra properly. Depending on the jutsu, controlling your chakra can be very difficult.” He said. “And a ninja will usually be gathering his chakra during battle while constantly moving. These types of situation make keeping the control even harder. That’s why, from this tree climbing and also by exercising...”

Sakura cringed at the reminder of that morning. Her body was still sore, even if she had forgotten about it for a moment.

“... you must gain the stamina needed for this proper control.” Kakashi went on.” Well, me talking all night isn’t going to accomplish anything.” He said, shrugging. “This is something you’ll have to learn with your bodies.”

The pink-haired kunoichi jumped to the ground again just as the sensei threw a pair of kunai at the boy’s feet.

“Use a kunai to mark how high you make it up the tree. Then, use that mark as your goal and try to surpass it.” The man instructed. “You guys won’t be good enough to just walk up the tree at first, so get some momentum and try running up the tree. Got it?”

Sasuke was the first to bend down to pick up the kunai, while Naruto beamed at Sakura and Rin.

“This training is nothing to me, dattebayo! I could do it before the night’s over!” The Uzumaki stated, looking as confident as ever.

Kakashi stared at him with an unimpressed gaze that seemed to be glued on him. “Why don’t you stop bragging? Pick a tree and hurry up and try to climb it.” Then, he turned to the only kunoichi of the trio of genin. “Sakura-chan, you know how to do this, so you won’t be a part of this training. I’m assuming Kurenai has taught you how to walk on water as well?”

“Walk on water?” Naruto repeated, looking at Sakura in confusion.

“It’s a more advanced exercise. I’ll teach it to you after you master tree climbing.” Kakashi stated before turning to the girl again. “So, did she?”

“Yes, sensei.” Sakura nodded, remembering a series of colds she’d had during her childhood, the result of falling into the ice-cold water at night many times during training.

(She had never seen Rin so close to killing someone as the medic had appeared to be when she’d looked at Kurenai after the pink-haired girl had spent a particularly bad night sneezing and coughing.)

Said medic walked up to the genin and stopped behind her, placing her hands on younger kunoichi’s shoulders. “That means you’ll be coming with me.” The woman said, her smile apparent in her voice. “I’ll be teaching you something new.”

Sakura opened her mouth to ask what but, before she could say a word, Naruto’s thunderous voice cut through the silence.

“Hey, that’s not fair, dattebayo! What about me?!” He asked, pointing at himself.

Kakashi replied before Rin could. “You’ll move on to more advanced techniques after you master this one. Idiot.” The last word was added as an afterthought, and Sakura chuckled.

Naruto glared at Kakashi and, with the boy’s attention on the sensei, Rin squeezed Sakura’s shoulder in order to get the girl’s eye. “C’mon, Sakura-chan. Follow me.” The medic asked before releasing her.

Rin walked toward the lake and Sakura followed her closely, even as her feet started to walk on the water instead of the ground filled with grass.

“_So cool, dattebayo!_” She heard Naruto yell, his voice becoming less audible as she moved away.

The genin followed the jōnin to the middle of the lake, right where the fire dragons had dived. She could still feel a bit of heat emanating from the usually icy water.

“So, how come you’re free tonight?” Sakura asked as soon as they stopped walking.

“It’s a new thing.” Rin shrugged, but her smile was full of contentment. “Save for emergencies, I’ll be taking the nights off from now on.” Sakura’s eyes bulged, and the medic raised an eyebrow. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You don’t take time-off.” The girl deadpanned.

Rin scoffed, but the slight tinge of red on her cheeks denounced her. “Of course I do.”

“Not consistently.” Sakura replied, raising an eyebrow.

The woman merely chuckled, looking away for a second. “Well, I just finished training some new medics, so the hospital shouldn’t be so short-staffed anymore.” There was no disguising the pride that filled Sakura’s chest at those words. “It’s not ideal yet, but I won’t have to spread myself so thin.”

And she had been spreading herself too thin over the years. Sakura would know.

“That’s great.” The girl replied, her voice filled with happiness and a large smile on her face.

Rin grinned at her. “Glad you think so.” Her grin subsided just a little as a more serious expression settled on her face. “Now, let’s get this started.”

Sakura nodded, her stiff body tensing in anticipation.

“Tonight, I’ll start teaching you the Chakra Scalpel.” Rin went on. “The name’s very suggestive. It’s a technique to form one’s chakra into a blade. It’s necessary for surgeries and anatomical dissections, but it can also be used offensively.”

The woman raised her arm, and Sakura watched blue chakra explode from her hand, covering the entire hand and making itself into a blade-like format.

“See?” Rin raised an eyebrow, and the scalpel disappeared as soon as the girl nodded. “Like any technique, with time and training, you’ll be able to use it without seals. But, for now, let’s practice them.”

Slowly, the medic’s hands started to form the hand seals, and Sakura mimicked her immediately.

“Tiger. Horse. Rabbit. Rat. Dog.” The woman listed as she formed them, and the genin followed her lead. Rin smiled at seeing her performing them correctly. “Good. Do it again.”

The kunoichi did as she was told, her hands repeating the seals as she tried to memorize the order. The silence was comfortable, as it always was with Rin, and the girl had been deep in tough, still trying to memorize the seals, when the medic spoke, her voice soft and almost inaudible.

“Did you know that this jutsu was created by my clan?”

Sakura froze, her hands stuck in the rabbit seal, and her gaze flew back to Rin. The woman wasn’t looking at her, her attention on the night sky above them.

“Really?” Sakura asked, unsure. Rin wasn’t one to even mention her immediate family, let alone her entire clan. Still, if the medic wanted to talk, the genin would be happy to listen.

Rin just nodded, still not looking at Sakura. “The Nohara Clan was famous for creating offensive medical ninjutsu.” She explained. “Some of the techniques were forbidden, others were given other purposes, like this one. Some are still kept in secret and are only known by me, since I’m the last of us.”

Sakura swallowed. How could she respond to that?

She herself was a part of a dying clan. The Senju had seen their heyday come and go a long time ago. Now, only her mother and herself carried the blood of Senju Hashirama – as far as she was aware, at least –, and she knew that, most probably, Kaa-san was also the guardian of many clan secrets.

It was... lonely.

But never as lonely as being the only one, she supposed.

“You don’t usually talk about your clan.” Sakura spoke slowly, unsure.

Rin shrugged. “There isn’t much to talk about. It was already dying by the time I was born.” She explained, and Sakura felt a pang of sympathy in her chest.

Then, in a curious movement that the girl had never stopped to think about before, the woman tilted her head to the side and looked down, biting her lip slightly. As if she were deep in thought, or as if she were _listening to someone_. She did that a lot and, knowing what she now knew, Sakura knew that it must be the Sanbi talking. _Isobu_.

Now, the genin wondered how she had never noticed it before. It was endearing, to say the least.

Then, Rin sighed, shaking her head and muttering something to herself. Sakura let a smile spread across her face at the sight.

“Do the hand seals again.” Rin then ordered, looking at Sakura for a short second.

The girl did as she was told, still watching her Nee-san’s weird mannerisms. It made her feel a bit more comfortable, reminded her that this was _Rin_, and that there was nothing – _almost_ nothing – she couldn’t talk to Rin about.

So, she took a deep breath and allowed herself to ask. “Was it because of your clan that you chose to become a medic-nin?”

The jōnin looked at her in surprise, raising both eyebrows. Then, a soft smile made its way to her lips as she stared at the young girl with pure affection.

“In part.” The medic replied, not as nervous as she had seemed to be before. “I just...” Rin bit her lip, as if unsure. “I wanted to protect the people I loved. I’m sure you understand.” She smiled hesitantly. “Again.”

The last word reminded the genin of the hand seals she still had to perform, and her hands started to form them again almost unconsciously. Still, her mind was stuck on what the woman had said.

She couldn’t think of something she wouldn’t do to protect the woman in front of her, or the boy screaming bloody murder not too far away from them. Or the red-eyed sensei who had taught her so much. Or the two women whom she hadn’t seen in years but who still carried pieces of her heart with them.

“I do.” Sakura found herself saying.

Rin stared at her with sad eyes, though the girl couldn’t explain why.

“Why are you only telling me this now?” The genin asked, the seals long forgotten.

The medic looked away again. “There are things children don’t need to know about. You were so young...” She sighed before forcing herself to look at the genin. “But it’s like you said. You’re not a little kid anymore, as much as I’d love to keep you young and... and safe.” Rin swallowed, still forcing herself not to look away. “So, there are things that maybe you should know about. Things about me.”

“You’re entitled to your secrets.” Sakura repeated the words she had heard from that same woman a few nights ago.

Rin chuckled. “Cheeky brat.” A small, sad smile found a house in the medic’s lips. “Look, I don’t open up easily. Last night, Kakashi called me an onion. Said something about having to take layer by layer off or something like that.” Again, she chuckled, and Sakura did too. “The point is... you’re not so young anymore, and I’ll try to... to be more open. I don’t want you to end up like me and if sharing can help...”

Sakura interrupted her, frowning. “Why don’t you want me to end up like you?”

Finally, Rin looked away, but Sakura could still see the unshed tears in her brown eyes. “I’m not a role model, Sakura-chan.” She let a small chuckle, and her eyes were so filled with self-loathing that it scared the pink-haired kunoichi. “I’m not even a good person.”

Sakura stared at her, her mouth hanging open. What could have brought this up?

It took her far more time than she’d like to admit to decide that simply it didn’t matter. Whatever it was that had made Rin think like that, Sakura wouldn’t stand for it.

“You had no obligation to take me in.” She spoke, and the medic’s eyes snapped to her again, full of surprise. “Ojii-san could have found somewhere else for me to live. But you...” Sakura took a deep breath. “You chose to keep me, to take care of me, to make me feel loved. Then, you did the same with Naruto. You also spend half your life inside that hospital, saving as many lives as you can. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the best person I’ve ever met, and I love you.”

Rin stared at her, far too silent, for what felt like a long time, brown eyes filled with tears. Then, a smile slowly spread across her lips, and she pulled Sakura into a tight hug.

“I love you too. Thank you, Sakura-chan.”

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

The rest of the week was just as hellish as the first day.

Kakashi continued to wake them up at five in the morning to run around the village. The Hokage still gave them the most ridiculous missions possible. Kakashi still trained Naruto and Sasuke to climb trees and Rin still trained Sakura to perform the Chakra Scalpel.

By Friday, Sakura didn’t think her body could still move an inch – neither did her teammate’s, it seemed. Still, Kakashi didn’t appear to be ready to accept that as an answer.

“This won’t do. You need some incentive.” He had stated before summoning a couple of ninken.

(Ino laughed for a full hour when Sakura told her about being chased around the village by shinobi dogs.)

Then, Saturday came, and Rin had been the one to knock on the bedroom’s door.

“You told me you wanted some more experience in medical ninjutsu. I’ve arranged for you to go with me to the hospital every Saturday morning so you can shadow me and gain some experience. What do you say?” The medic raised an eyebrow in defiance, and Sakura forced her battered and bruised body to leave her comfortable bed once again.

It surprised Sakura when she left her bedroom, Naruto still snoring loudly on his bed, to find Ino standing at her living-room.

“You look like death, Forehead.” The Yamanaka said, though she wasn’t looking so much better. Her own sensei, along with her father, had been doing a number on her, or so Sakura was told.

The pink-haired girl stuck her tongue out at her, and Ino laughed. Then, the duo followed Rin out of the apartment and toward the hospital.

“I’m taking you two as my apprentices.” The medic explained as they crossed the glass doors.

Ino raised an eyebrow. “Can you really do that?”

“You’re genin now, and I’m the Head of the hospital.” Rin simply chuckled, guiding them through the familiar corridors. “Honestly, there’s not much I can’t do around here.”

She took them to the on-call room to introduce them to some of the staff, even though Sakura had known most of them for years now. When they got there, only Inuzuka Hana was around, and the woman looked at the newcomers with a wolfish grin.

“So that’s how the pup has been spending her time-off? Recruiting apprentices?” Hana asked, her voice filled with mirth.

“I’m older than you.” Rin deadpanned.

“Details. No one cares about that.”

“I’m your boss.”

“Because you’re a precocious puppy.”

Sakura laughed at Rin’s indignant groan, and both Ino and Hana did too.

The rest of the morning was spent chasing after Rin around the hospital as the medic went on with her routine as if it were nothing. Even the exhaustion couldn’t quite extinguish the excitement in Sakura’s chest as she took on a world of both old and new things with one of her best friends by her side.

When lunchtime came, Ino went home, and Rin treated Sakura to barbecue. The duo was halfway through the meal when the medic smirked knowingly at the girl.

“There’s someone here to see you.” The jinchūriki announced just before a familiar raven-haired, red-eyed woman took the vacant seat beside Sakura.

The girl swallowed the piece of meat in her mouth before beaming at the newcomer. “Kurenai-sensei.” She greeted, and the woman nudged her shoulder in response. “Not that it isn’t nice to see you, but what’re you doing here?”

Kurenai eyed her, faking hurt. “I can’t believe you forgot about our training session.”

Sakura’s eyebrows shot to her hairline. “But... but you have a team now.”

The red-eyed jōnin shrugged. “None of them are terribly interested in genjutsu. Also, they’re all clan kids.” Meaning that they had duties to perform and training to do outside of their genin team, Sakura deduced. “Besides, Kakashi and Rin mentioned something about you performing the Tree Binding Death.” There was unmistakable pride in those crimson eyes, and Sakura blushed. “I wasn’t expecting you to be able to cast it so soon.”

The genin looked down, embarrassed. “It wasn’t that good.”

“Yes, it was.” Rin interjected, and Sakura’s blush darkened.

“See?” Kurenai chuckled, nudging her shoulder again. “We simply have to perfect it. And I have some new things to teach you, too.”

At the happy announcement, Sakura stared at the woman beside her in wonder.

“Why are you doing this?” She questioned, and Kurenai raised an eyebrow in confusion. “I realize now that I never asked.”

The genjutsu specialist shrugged. “You’re a good kid. I care about you. Honestly, you’re as good as family now.” She threw an arm around the girl’s shoulders. “So, finish eating. We still have a lot of training to do.”

Sakura beamed at her in response. “Yes, sensei.”

Truth be told, many things had changed in the week since she became genin. Others had remained the same. As she said goodbye to Rin, who had to go back to the hospital, and followed Kurenai to the Training Grounds, she wondered how Kaa-san and Nee-chan would fit into all of this.

Would they like Rin and Naruto? Would they like Kurenai and Ino? Would the family she had formed in Konoha like the family she was born into?

The desire to know the answer to all those questions only fueled her resolve, and she followed the sensei without questions, even if all she wanted at the moment was to take a simple nap.

No, she couldn’t rest now. She still had a dream to fulfill.

And she’d get there. Someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised not to take this much time, but I've been really busy lately. not to mention that I've been worried sick about this pandemic, especially because my sister is asthmatic and my parents aren't quite so young anymore. still, writing has been a good coping mechanism, and I'll see that I can post more often, if I can
> 
> again, thank you so much for every comment, every kudo, every bookmark. it's so important to me that you can even imagine. oh, and speaking of comments, I'll be replying to those tomorrow. I'm kind of short on time right now
> 
> chapter title is gladiolus and it means strength of character, faithfulness and honor. this is a bit of an interlude, and the wave mission starts next chapter
> 
> so, I really have to go now. again, thank you so much for reading. it means a lot. and tell me in case there are any mistakes. again, I didn't have time to read over this chapter.
> 
> see ya!


	7. angelica

Two more weeks passed, and the routine remained the same. To say Sakura was exhausted would be an understatement – her entire body felt sore and her legs trembled as she stood in front of the Hokage, who was sitting behind his desk, with Iruka-sensei beside him.

Team 7 had just retrieved that _little demon_ called _Tora_ for perhaps the third time this week alone, with Naruto still sporting the red marks of the cat’s sharp claws. Sakura couldn’t even muster the strength to smirk at the sight of Shijimi-sama squeezing the life out of that vile feline – she wasn’t running on enough sleep to bring herself to care, to be honest.

Her attention remained on the Hokage, who stared at her team fondly for a moment too long. And finally, he spoke.

“Now, Kakashi’s Team 7, your next duty is...” The Hokage dragged his gaze to the scroll in front of him. “Hm... babysitting an Elder’s grandson shopping in the neighboring village; and help with the potato digging.” He informed in a steady calm tone which made the voice that came right after his sound all the rowdier.

“No!” Naruto yelled, unconcerned for manners expected in the presence of the Hokage. “No! No! No, thank you!” He moved his arms widely. “I want to do, you know, a more incredible mission! Find us a better one!” He demanded, again uncaring for who he was addressing.

Sakura frowned in annoyance at Naruto’s yelling – at the Hokage, no less. Still, she bit her tongue, swallowing a rant. She had been preventing this from happening for quite some time now and, to be honest, she was too tired to care. Besides, if she had to chase Tora around the village one more time, she was going to _scream_.

Iruka-sensei didn’t share her restraint. “You idiot!” He screamed. “You’re just a rookie! Everyone starts off with simple duties and works their way up!” He looked like he was going to burst a vein.

Naruto was quick to retort, just as loud as before. “But! But we keep getting the crappiest possible duties!” He said and, just as he was opening his mouth to continue, Kakashi-sensei hit him in the back of his head, silencing him.

“Be quiet, you.” The jōnin-sensei ordered, and Naruto turned to him with an indignant look in his eyes that caused Sakura to sigh and Sasuke to scoff.

“Naruto.” The Hokage’s voice interrupted whatever retort the blonde-haired boy was cooking up. “It seems I have to explain to you what these duties are all about.” He went on, removing the pipe from between his lips as he did so. “Listen, everyday the village receives numerous requests, from babysitting... to assassination.”

Sakura swallowed, and her hands closed into fists against her will. Sure, she was aware of all the duties expected from a shinobi, but that did not make her feel any more comfortable with the idea of killing – of drawing _blood_.

_“Tsunade-sama, snap out of it! He’s going to hurt Sakura!”_

She screwed her eyes shut in an attempt to banish the memory from her mind. It was not the right moment to allow those thoughts to run wild, nor the right place.

The Hokage was still talking, and Sakura forced herself to focus on the steady sound of his voice. “... ranking based on difficulty. The village is also divided based on skill. Starting with me, to the jōnins, chūnins and genins.” He explained, and, although Sakura had heard it all before from Rin, she hung onto every word, if only to keep her own mind from wandering. “The missions are then handed out by us at the top to ninjas based on their abilities.”

He held up one of the mission scrolls for them to see.

“And, if the duty is completed successfully, we receive payment from the client.” He stated. “You guys just recently became genin. D-Rank missions are perfect for you.”

Sakura dragged her gaze to Naruto, only to find the blonde-haired boy staring at the Hokage with his arms tightly crossed, a pout in his lips. Less than a heartbeat later, however, he moved to point an accusing finger at the Sandaime.

“Jiji, all you do is give lectures like that!” Naruto shouted, his pout turning into his big trademark smile. “But you know what? I’m not the troublemaking brat you still think I am!”

Not a troublemaking brat, but still disrespecting the Hokage with his tone. Sakura’s eye twitched. “Yes, you are.” She retorted, crossing her arms as she side-eyed the blonde-haired boy.

Naruto’s shoulders slumped dramatically, and he turned to her. “Own, Sakura-chan...” He pouted, only to receive a glare from her in response. While that pout was surely convincing, she had been on the receiving end of it enough times to develop certain immunity.

Besides, she was – _again _– tired beyond belief. All she wanted was to go home and get some rest before another nightly training session with Kakashi-sensei and Nee-san. She really wasn’t asking for a lot here.

She opened her mouth to answer, only for the Hokage’s voice to swallow the promise of her own. “Fine.” Sakura’s eyes snapped to the old man, who was staring at her team with a small smile. “If you want it that much, I’ll give you a C-Rank mission.”

Iruka-sensei’s sharp intake of breath could be heard by every person in the room, and even Sakura felt her breathing come to an end for a quick moment. She really hadn’t expected Ojii-san to cave.

“It’s a protection mission of a certain individual.” The Hokage managed to speak before Naruto’s thundering voice filled the room again.

“Yeah!” Naruto shouted, excited. “Who?! Who?! A feudal lord?! A princess?!” Somehow, Sakura doubted either possibility would fit a C-Rank mission, but she kept her thoughts to herself, instead waiting for the Hokage to explain.

“Calm down. I’m about to introduce him.” Ojii-san stated. Then, he turned his attention to a door near him. “Will you come in here?” He asked, not even raising his voice to catch the attention of whoever was in the other room.

Sakura tensed in expectation, staring at the door as it began to open. The man who walked past it was old, with gray hair and beard, not to mention the wrinkles. He gulped the sake he held in one hand, and Sakura’s nails dug into her palms.

Kaa-san had always loved sake. Sakura wondered if that had changed over the years, and she felt her heart squeezing inside of her chest at not knowing the answer.

“What is this?” The old man’s – _the client’s_ – annoyed voice snapped the kunoichi out of her own thoughts, and he leaned against the doorframe. “They’re all a bunch of super brats. Especially the shortest one with the super stupid-looking face. Are you really a ninja?”

Sakura’s eye twitched – she knew exactly who the shortest one was, and she didn’t like the client’s words one bit. The kunoichi turned to Naruto in time to see him looking between her and Sasuke in order to find out which of them the old man was talking about.

She saw the exact moment the realization settled, as the blonde-haired boy turned to the client.

“I’LL KILL YOU!” He shouted, his voice full of anger. He was about to throw himself at the old man on the doorway when Kakashi-sensei held him by the back of his collar.

“What’s the point of killing the person we’re supposed to protect, idiot?” The jōnin-sensei asked, unaffected, but that did little to calm Naruto’s rage as the blonde-haired boy continued to struggle against the man’s hold.

Sakura’s attention snapped to the client at the sound of his annoyed voice. “I am the super expert bridge builder, Tazuna. I expect you to provide me super protection until I get back to my country and complete the bridge.”

A mission outside of the village – Rin definitely wasn’t going to like that. There was also the fact that Naruto already hated the client, and Tazuna seemed to dislike the blonde-haired boy as well. Then there was the fact that Sakura’s body was nowhere near rested enough to take a trip, and the thought alone made her groan and internally curse Naruto’s big mouth.

Suddenly, chasing Tora around the village _again_ didn’t seem so unappealing.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Rin chewed on her lower lip, feeling the anxiety burning in her chest. In her mind, Isobu remained silent, just as taken aback by the news as his jinchūriki was. The woman crossed her arms tightly, and her gaze was drawn to the man standing on the other side of the room.

Brown eyes met a single onyx iris.

“A mission outside of the village? So soon?” She asked, although the words spoken before didn’t leave any room for misunderstandings. Still, Rin desperately wished that she had heard it wrong, because, if she hadn’t, then it meant that her fears would become real sooner than she’d expected.

She had always known that the time would come. Both Naruto and Sakura had made no secret of their ambitions – his dream of becoming Hokage, her dream of finding Tsunade-sama again. And that meant assuming all the risks that came with being a shinobi. Rin had known all of that.

And yet, watching that knowledge turn into reality pushed all the air out of her lungs. Her fingers dug into the skin of her arms painfully, and she could barely hear Isobu’s voice through the ringing that settled in her ears.

“_Are you okay?_” The Sanbi asked, although he could feel the sheer panic that coursed through her veins mirrored in his own spirit. He always knew, and, even then, he always asked.

_I don’t know_, she thought to herself, to Isobu. Even if Kakashi knew about her tailed beast, talking to the Sanbi in thoughts only was a difficult habit to break, and one she found the need to maintain, lest she’d slip up.

Before Isobu could say anything in return, the other person in the room spoke.

“Naruto wouldn’t stand for less, and you know it.” Kakashi retorted, and he sounded so calm that she almost wanted to scream at him – didn’t he understand what that meant, or did he simply not care? “Not only him, but Sakura and Sasuke were starting to grow restless as well.”

Of course. A team of genin could only run after Shijimi-sama’s demonic cat so many times before they grew bored of it. Rin herself only had the chance to do it once before her promotion to chūnin, although it was a different cat back then – and once had been more than enough.

“You’d expect that, with all the training...” She trailed off. Rin knew Naruto too well to let herself believe he would be satisfied with D-Rank missions for much longer, but she had hoped that their training sessions would keep him sufficiently busy for a while.

Clearly she had underestimated her little brother.

“_You can’t shield them forever._” Isobu chimed in, always kind, always understanding, but truthful, nonetheless.

Rin screwed her eyes shut. _I know_, she thought in response.

Her mind brought her an image of Naruto, who looked so much like Minato-sensei but resembled Kushina-san in so many ways. Naruto, with a pair of goggles and an attitude that reminded her so much of her dear Obito. The blonde-haired boy with a smile that could outshine the sun itself and a dream of becoming Hokage – not for the power or the influence, but for something as simple as acknowledgement, respect.

Rin thought of Sakura, the little girl who pulled her out of the misery that the medic had let herself drown into for so long. Sakura, with her kind eyes and warm smile and a heart so full of love that she gave it away freely. The pink-haired girl who helped Rin feel less alone, like she had a family again after so long, and who dreamed of nothing more than being reunited her own family again.

Both deserved to achieve their dreams, and Rin wouldn’t be the one to stand in their way.

The medic dragged her gaze to Kakashi, who stared at her with a solemn look in his single eye in sight. “Just...” Rin took a deep breath. “Take care of them for me, please.” She asked – _pleaded _– and not one part of her doubted the trustful answer he gave her shortly after.

“I will.”

Kakashi left not long after that, with another promise that he’d protect his genin with his life. That didn’t calm Rin nearly as much as he intended it too, but she just nodded in response. She couldn’t deal with that at the moment, even if it was nothing more than a weak possibility.

Then, after he was gone, the medic walked to her little siblings’ bedroom. She opened the door a bit, just enough so that she could see inside of the dark room. Naruto and Sakura were dead to the world, each in their respective bed, and Naruto’s snoring was so loud that Rin couldn’t understand how Sakura managed to sleep.

The scene brought a smile to the medic’s mouth, but it was short-lived, and her fingers tightened their hold on the wooden door, which creaked in protest.

It wasn’t fair. The village wasn’t facing a war. Naruto and Sakura – and Sasuke as well – were so young...

“_You were younger._” Isobu argued, although he didn’t sound much assertive. His voice was timid, unsure, as if he wanted to help – he always did – but didn’t know how.

Her jaw clenched, as did her fingers’ hold on the door. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” She asked, her own voice no more than a fragile whisper that could barely overcome the silence.

Yes, Rin had been young. She had been younger than Sakura and Naruto when she made chūnin, at eleven-years old. But those had been different times. The Third Shinobi World War had caused the villages to use increasingly younger soldiers, and she could understand that.

But the war was over now. So, why not let children be children for a little longer?

“I don’t know if I’ll survive if something happens to them.” Rin admitted, her voice not any louder than it had sounded before, and she continued to watch the duo sleeping soundly in their respective beds. Sakura and Naruto were the only family she had left – her clan was long gone, as was most of her former team.

She couldn’t lose anyone else.

The rational part of Rin knew that it was unlikely that something really dangerous would happen. C-Rank missions had little to no chance of combat against other ninja, and Kakashi would be with them – they couldn’t be safer with anyone else.

And yet, she couldn’t quite ignore the dread that settled in her heart.

“_It won’t._” Isobu retorted after a short moment of silence, and his voice was steady, confident.

She admired his optimism, even if she couldn’t find it in herself to share it. “How do you know?”

“_I hope._” The Sanbi replied, and Rin could feel the kind smile in his words, along with the warm, tranquil feeling that her companion sent through her veins. It helped, if only a bit. “_It’s all we can do right now. They will be fine. You’ll see._”

The medic forced herself to nod, even as the treacherous vines of doubt seized her heart. She took one last look at the sleeping genin before she closed the door. Outside, Rin took a deep breath.

Isobu was right – Rin couldn’t shield them from the world forever, even if she desperately wished to do so. All she could do was hope for the best – and so that was what she did.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

“LET’S GO, DATTEBAYO!” Naruto shouted as soon as he saw Kakashi-sensei, Tazuna-san and Sasuke standing near the village gates, and Sakura winced at the loud noise that invaded her ears. He definitely wasn’t holding back his excitement.

Beside her, Rin chuckled, although Sakura noticed that it sounded a bit strained, as did the medic’s amiable smile. “What are you so excited about?” Rin asked, staring at Naruto with amused brown eyes which held something else that Sakura couldn’t quite put a finger on.

The woman had been acting weird all morning – since she was told about Team 7’s new mission, to be honest. Sakura supposed she couldn’t fault Rin. It was the first time they would be apart for so long ever since Sakura’s arrival in Konoha and, later, Naruto’s adoption.

Naruto, for his part, didn’t seem to notice anything wrong, and he turned to Rin with his megawatt smile. “Because I’ve never left the village before, dattebayo!” He explained, his body practically shaking with excitement. Then, he turned to his other sister. “Hey, Sakura-chan, you weren’t born here. How’s it like outside?”

Sakura’s steps faltered, and it was only Rin’s strong hand on her shoulder that prevented the pink-haired girl from tripping over her own feet. Naruto didn’t tend to ask about her life before Konoha, not after he realized how much it upset her, but she supposed his excitement got the better of him.

She looked down. “I don’t remember it all that well.” The pink-haired kunoichi admitted, although the words left a deep cut in her heart. It wasn’t a lie, after all. Her memories of her life before she was left in Konoha were unreliable at best – she had been too young – and she desperately grasped for the remaining ones – mostly the ones about Kaa-san and Nee-chan.

Naruto’s face fell, and he took her hand as he realized his mistake. Sakura did nothing but squeeze it, and the small family continued to walk until they finally reached the trio that had been waiting for them at the gates.

Upon seeing Naruto, Tazuna-san made no effort to hide his disdain toward the blonde-haired boy. The client averted his gaze to Kakashi-sensei even as his finger pointed accusingly at Naruto.

“Hey, am I really going to be safe with this brat?” Tazuna-san asked, his voice filled with so much doubt that it made Naruto bristle and Sakura narrow her eyes at the client. Rin, for her part, didn’t say a word, but the hand she kept on Sakura’s shoulder tightened just enough for the girl to know that the medic didn’t appreciate Tazuna-san’s behavior either.

Kakashi-sensei, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind, and his visible eye crinkled as if he were smiling under his mask. “Well, I am a jōnin.” He assured, patient and friendly. “Don’t worry.”

The client nodded, but the way he side-eyed the blonde-haired jinchūriki distrustfully was enough to end Naruto’s rare restraint.

He released Sakura’s hand and moved to point a finger to Tazuna-san. “Hey, old man!” His noisy voice caught the client’s attention, and the bridge builder turned to him with disdain. “Don’t mess with ninjas, dattebayo! I’m incredible!” His confident smile came back. “One day, I will take the super elite ninja title, Hokage! My name is Uzumaki Naruto! Remember it!”

Sakura stared at the blonde-haired boy fondly, even if his yelling did annoy her a little – _a lot_. He was always so confident in himself, in his ability to achieve his dream, and it never failed to make her feel the same – as if she could actually achieve her goal, as if she could really find her family again.

She smiled, but it was short-lived, as Tazuna-san didn’t take long to reply. “Hokage is the village’s number 1 ninja, right?” He asked before making a short pause to remove the cap from his newest sake bottle with his teeth. His eyes were on Naruto. “I doubt someone like you could become it.”

Sakura’s hands fisted, and again Rin’s strong hold on her shoulder was the only thing keeping her from moving – from punching the living daylights out of that man, client or not.

Naruto was fast to retort. “Shut up!” He yelled. “I am prepared to do anything to become Hokage, dattebayo! Once I become Hokage, you will acknowledge me!” It was all he had ever wanted, for people to acknowledge him, to stop acting as if he did not exist or as if he _should not_ exist as soon as Rin was out of earshot.

“No, I won’t, you brat.” Tazuna-san retorted, unimpressed. “Even if you did become Hokage.”

Naruto ground his teeth, and his hands fisted. “I’LL KILL YOU!”

Before he could make a move, Rin’s hand flew from Sakura’s shoulder to his, stopping him from losing them their client. Naruto turned to her, as did Sakura. “Hey, hey. Let’s try to keep our heads here, shall we?” She said, with that same amiable smile that never failed to make her little siblings feel safe. “Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, I made you some food for the trip.”

Her other hand, the one that wasn’t keeping Naruto from murdering Tazuna-san, balanced a stack of bentō effortlessly. Finally, she released the blonde-haired jinchūriki to give him his food before doing the same to both Sakura and Kakashi. But there was still one box left, and she turned to the only one of them who had yet to say a word.

Rin held out the bentō for him to take. “Sasuke, I made one for you too.”

Sasuke’s eyes bulged, and his mouth opened just a bit as he stared at the medic, completely taken aback. Then, he tried and failed to school his features as words started to leave his mouth. “I can’t accept-”

She interrupted him. “Don’t let it go to waste. Please. I already have my own lunch.” She shoved the bentō into the Uchiha’s hands, leaving him no choice. His fingers grasped the box as he stared at Rin in confusion, and she smiled at him before ruffling his hair slightly, much to his surprise.

Sakura found herself smiling. Rin really was a wonderful person, wasn’t she?

“Oh, and Tazuna-san...” The medic’s voice once again caught everyone’s attention. She stared at the old man with that same amiable smile of hers, but there was something in her eyes that caused Sakura to shudder – she could swear she saw Rin’s brown eyes flash yellow for a second. “I would refrain from talking to my little brother like that if I were you. For your own good.”

The words were said in an easy-going, friendly tone, but the veiled threat they carried was lost on no one, and Sakura saw Tazuna-san swallow.

There was, after all, a reason why no one dared to say anything mean about Naruto when Rin was around, and, while her position at the hospital was certainly a part of it, it wasn’t everything.

From the corner of her eye, Sakura saw Kakashi-sensei scratch his head awkwardly, but he didn’t say anything, nor did anyone else for what felt like a long time. Rin’s attention finally left Tazuna-san as she kneeled in front of Naruto and Sakura, placing a hand on each kid’s shoulder.

“Be safe.” She asked, and her smile was sincere again, although the worry that stained her brown eyes was hard to miss. Sakura felt bad for making the medic feel like that. “I’ll miss you two.”

Naruto threw himself at her, wrapping her in a tight hug. “I’ll miss you too, Nee-chan.” His voice was suddenly teary, and Sakura felt her own eyes water. They would not stay apart for long, sure, but it was still the first time since she was six that Sakura would be so far from Rin.

And, as temporary as it was, this was still a goodbye. Just like it had been that night, so long ago. It caused a lump to form in the pink-haired girl’s throat, but she forced herself to speak.

“Don’t work too much.” Sakura asked with a shaking voice, and Rin’s answering chuckle sounded just as trembling.

The medic released Naruto only to wrap Sakura in a hug too. “No promises.” She replied, and the pink-haired kunoichi shook her head. Rin let go of her too soon, alternating her attention between Sakura and Naruto. “Please, take care of yourselves. And obey Kakashi’s orders.”

“We’ll be okay, Nee-chan!” Naruto stated, his smile shining on his face as he desperately tried to rub the tears away from his blue eyes. “Don’t worry!”

Rin stared at him with a soft gaze. “I always worry.” She replied and, finally, she stood up, turning her eyes to Kakashi-sensei. “Please, keep them safe. And take care of yourself too.”

“I will.” The white-haired jōnin replied, and it felt like a promise if Sakura had ever heard one.

The pink-haired girl, for her part, made one of her own. “We’ll see each other again soon. That’s a promise.” She said, and the bright, honest smile that spread across Rin’s lips gave her everything she needed to keep that promise.

Finally, Team 7 and Tazuna-san left. Sakura walked a bit behind the group, with her hands tightly gripping her backpack’s handles. She looked down as Kaa-san’s voice echoed through her mind.

“_You’re strong, and we’ll see each other again._”

The words were faint, an old memory and a painful reminder of something she had yet to achieve. But this was different. This was just a mission that would take a few days. Sakura and Rin would see each other again, and it wouldn’t take long – not if Sakura could help it.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Minutes turned into hours as they walked, and Sakura pulled a book that Rin had given her out of her backpack. It was a small, thin guide to the Land of Waves – she wasn’t taught much about the other countries other than the Land of Fire back in the Academy, and it felt like a good opportunity to rectify that and catch up on some reading.

A small piece of information caught her attention, and Sakura dragged her gaze from the book to her jōnin-sensei. “Kakashi-sensei, doesn’t the Land of Waves have ninja too?” She asked, a frown settling in her face.

He looked at her over her shoulder, and what little of his face was exposed seemed friendly. “No, not in the Land of Waves. But, in most other countries, the culture and customs may be different, but hidden villages exist, and so do ninjas. To the many nations of the continent, the existence of a shinobi village means military power. This is how they hold and maintain advantages over each other. But it’s not that the villages rule the countries. They merely stand equally with the country’s government.”

Naruto brought his mouth close to her ear to whisper. “This is _so boring_, dattebayo.”

Sakura rolled her eyes and sighed. “This is important if you want to be Hokage, you know?” She argued. Naruto had yet to understand everything that came with the position – Ojii-san didn’t just sit in his office doing nothing all day, and, the sooner Naruto understood that, the better.

The blonde-haired boy’s eyes widened before darting to Kakashi-sensei, who was still talking.

“A small island country like the Land of Waves doesn’t receive much interference from the larger countries and may not need a shinobi village.” The jōnin said. “Within the many shinobi villages, Konoha, Kiri, Kumo, Suna and Iwa are large and powerful, referred to as The Five Great Shinobi Countries. And these are the only countries whose leader receives the name Kage. The Five Kages are Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage and Tsuchikage.” He continued. “They reign over the thousands of ninjas in the world.”

“Yeah!” Naruto shouted, suddenly far too interested in the subject. “And the Hokage is the best!” Because of course he would say that.

Sakura chuckled, and Kakashi-sensei shook his head in amusement. “And don’t worry.” The jōnin then said. “There won’t be any ninja combat in a C-Rank mission.”

It was not a new information – C-Rank missions were for genin and newly promoted chūnin, after all – but Sakura couldn’t help but feel equal parts of relieved and disappointed at the reaffirmation. Relieved, because it meant it wouldn’t be hard and they could go home soon. Disappointed, since it meant she wouldn’t get the chance to test her abilities in a serious fight.

But well, all in good time.

She nodded, and Kakashi-sensei ruffled her hair fondly. Finally, Sakura turned her attention back to her book – it was easy to read, even as they walked, since Sasuke wasn’t much of a talker, and Naruto was too busy admiring his surroundings to care about anything else. Tazuna-san also had yet to say a word – maybe Rin’s threat had really gotten to him.

Sakura couldn’t quite pinpoint when exactly Kakashi-sensei had started to fall behind, but, when a metallic screech pierced her ears so suddenly that she dropped her book and turned around, her jōnin-sensei was standing a few feet away from the rest of the team, his body wrapped in chains, his onyx eye wide in surprise.

“What?!” The white-haired man exclaimed.

Then, Naruto’s startled voice came. “What’s this?!”

“_One down._” A voice Sakura didn't recognize announced, and the two men who were holding the thick chains bounding Kakashi-sensei moved.

“_Tsunade-sama, snap out of it! He’s going to hurt Sakura!_”

Blood spilled across the ground as the thick chains cut through Kakashi-sensei’s body as if it were nothing. And, just like that, Sakura was six again, paralyzed as a man walked toward her with that smile that she could never forget, a kunai in his hand.

She stood there, her body shaking as that familiar fear settled in her heart. Because she was going to die.

_She was going to die_.

Another metallic sound, coming from behind her, snapped her out of her mind, and Sakura turned around to see Sasuke standing on the duo’s gauntlets, stopping them from going for Naruto.

_Naruto._ Naruto, who was paralyzed in fear. Naruto, who needed to be protected.

Sakura ground her teeth. She had to protect him – she had always done it to the best of her ability, and she always would, _no matter what_. She couldn’t be afraid, not now.

Not now, _damn it_! She had to do what Shizune-nee-chan had done for her, that night.

Her hands closed into fists, and she watched as Sasuke placed his hands on the pair of criminals’ gauntlets and raised both feet, which collided with the face of their opponents, sending their heads backwards.

One more metallic screech filled the air as the criminals’ dangerous gauntlets released the chains that were now binding them to trees – probably Sasuke’s doing. But, instead of turning to the boy that had dared to face them, they turned to Sakura, and, so fast that she almost – _almost_ – couldn’t keep up, the pair rushed toward her.

No, they weren’t headed to her. They were going for _Tazuna-san_.

Sakura immediately moved to stand between the bridge builder and the pair of criminals, but that wasn’t enough to make them stop. The duo rushed to her, their murderous gauntlets ready for the attack.

But none of them were _that man_, and Sakura was no longer a helpless child. She was a ninja, and she couldn’t die here, not if she wished to achieve her dream as well as keep the promise she had made to Nee-san.

Suddenly, Sasuke was standing beside her, and Sakura met his eyes. He nodded before turning to one of the bandits, and the pink-haired girl turned to the other one.

_Thanks, Kurenai-sensei._ Sakura thought to herself as her hands formed a single seal – _tiger _– and her chakra molded in a way that she had only recently learned, training with the genjutsu specialist during her first month as a genin. “Demonic Illusion: Bringer-of-Darkness Jutsu!”

The man in front of her stopped moving, and Sakura’s blood was rushing through her veins as her body moved on its own accord, legs quickly taking her to her opponent. His left arm, the one with the gauntlet, moved, but the attack was sloppy and desperate, his aim inaccurate, and she jumped to avoid it.

A memory flashed through her mind. The first time she’d ever truly seen her Kaa-san’s strength.

“_Heaven Kick of Pain!_”

Sakura smiled and raised her leg, willing her chakra to gather in her heel as she fell. She swinged her foot down, and her heel met the ground instead of the bandit’s head, as she had been aiming. Cracks spread across the floor, raising the earth – surely enough to knock him out had she landed the hit, but not nearly close to the giant crater her mother had created, which had caused a nearby village to think it was an earthquake.

(Nee-chan was really pissed at that one, especially because Kaa-san had simply been showing-off for Sakura, instead of keeping her inhuman strength for a real fight.)

Finally, Sakura turned to her opponent, who was glaring at her from a few feet away – he seemed to have gotten rid of her genjutsu, after all. She closed her hands into fists and waited for the next attack.

But it never came.

Kakashi-sensei was standing there, his arms around both bandits’ necks, as the duo was no longer conscious. He was relaxed, his single eye in sight gazing at his genin team.

“Sakura, Sasuke.” He spoke, and his eye crinkled as if he were smiling. “Good job.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, it's been a while, right? I swear this wasn't just me being an asshole tho! there was this whole pandemic happening, and then I broke my arm (writing with one hand sucks btw. do not recommend) but then there was still the pandemic and I was really stressed. I'm really sorry it took me this long
> 
> I wanna thank y'all for all the support. it's really important to me and it really helped me get back into writing. I've read all of your comments, and they made me so happy I just couldn't spend any longer without posting a new chapter. thank you so much, really. there are 56 comments sitting in my inbox and I swear I'll reply to every single one of them, but I'm kinda really tired right now (I wrote this whole chapter today) so I'm gonna leave that to next weekend. again, thank you so, so much. really.
> 
> but this time away actually helped a bit, in terms of this story. I made a lot of plans, and I'm eager for y'all to read what I have in store. oh, and, speaking of that, please feel free to give me your own suggestions, things you'd like to see and all that. so long as I can fit it into the story, I can sure as hell make it happen.
> 
> as for the chapter title, internet tells me angelica means inspiration. thought it was fitting, cause of the end of the chapter.
> 
> please, let me know of any mistakes you find. this is the first time I write in a while, so I'm kinda rusty
> 
> that's all, I guess. again, thank you so much for all the support. I'll try not to take so long to update again, but I know better than to promise things I maybe won't be able to keep. I can promise to try my best tho
> 
> see ya!


	8. achillea

Sakura let out a relieved breath, and a bright smile spread across her lips. “Kakashi-sensei! You're alive!” She all but shouted, not quite able to prevent the words from trembling as they crossed her lips. Her heartbeat had yet to slow down, as did her breathing.

She spared a quick look to where she had watched Kakashi-sensei's blood splatter. Instead, pieces of the wooden replacement he had used stared back at her. She could've laughed – still, she didn’t.

There wasn't enough energy for that left in her after everything. She felt drained all of a sudden.

It was only their proximity that allowed the kunoichi to hear Sasuke's voice. “Bah... what a show-off...” He muttered, unimpressed by their sensei's return. The raven-haired boy was standing a bit behind Sakura, his eyebrows slightly drawn together as he stared at their squad leader.

“We're saved.” Tazuna-san's voice came from a bit farther away, and he sounded just as relieved as Sakura felt, if not more. His face was only beginning to recover the color it had lost during the fight, and a thick layer of sweat glistened on his forehead.

Kakashi-sensei, for his part, turned his attention to a still silent blonde-haired boy. “Naruto, sorry for not helping you right away. I got you injured. I didn't think you wouldn't be able to move.”

The words hit Sakura like a ton of bricks, and her gaze shot to Naruto – she hadn't noticed that he had gotten hurt. The kunoichi's green eyes soon found the source of inspiration to Kakashi-sensei's statement: a small, reddened scratch on the back of the hand that Naruto clutched to his chest.

She was only half-aware of Kakashi-sensei's “Anyway, nice job, Sasuke, Sakura.” as she sprinted toward the boy she had grown to call one of her best friends, her brother. Sakura took his wounded hand in between hers, but Naruto snatched it out of her grasp with a pained grimace.

He was hurt, and the heavy, burning feeling that settled in the pit of Sakura's stomach was no less than she deserved for her failure to protect him. She screwed her eyes shut and ground her teeth.

Weak. She was still _so_ _damn weak_.

The pink-haired girl opened her eyes again at the sudden sound of Sasuke's voice. “Hey... are you alright... scaredy cat?” He needled. Sakura looked at him over her shoulder, seeing his closed lips slightly curled upwards as he stared at her best friend slash brother.

Naruto stiffened, his lower lip trembling, and Sakura glared at Sasuke. “Give it a rest.” She hissed, and the raven-haired boy spared her an unreadable look that didn't stay on her for long.

She had been looking at Sasuke, and so she hadn't noticed Naruto's shame and sadness morph into anger. But Kakashi-sensei had, and he stopped the blonde-haired boy before he could do anything other than shoot daggers at the Uchiha with his ocean eyes.

“Naruto, save it for later.” The jōnin asked – _ordered_. “Their claws are soaked in poison. We have to remove it quickly.” Sakura's eyes widened at that not-so-small piece of information. Her hands flew to the handles of her backpack, and she removed them from her arms as quickly as she could.

Kakashi-sensei watched as she placed the bag on the ground and stuck her hand inside, searching for something like a madwoman. Rin was a medic, one quite fond of using poisons as an offensive tactic to back her Fire Style ninjutsu and the clan techniques she had inherited, and the pink-haired kunoichi was bound to have something useful inside of that backpack of hers.

He averted his gaze to Naruto again. “We'll see if Sakura-chan can find you an antidote, but I find it hard, since we don't know exactly what poison was used.” The pink-haired genin froze, and her eyes screwed shut again, because – of course, _of course_ – Kakashi-sensei had to be right.

She did have some antidotes with her, along with some bandages and almost everything that could be found in a basic first-aid kit. But poisons were tricky things and, while Sakura carried a solution for the most common ones, the criminals that had hurt Naruto were anything but common.

Sakura bit her lower lip so hard that she could feel the metallic taste of blood in her tongue.

Kakashi-sensei was still talking. “If she doesn't, we must open the wound and release the poisoned blood from your body.” It was a viable way to get things done, but one Sakura would've preferred to avoid, if only to spare Naruto of the additional pain.

But her hands were tied, and they had to act quickly. It was an option she would have to consider.

“Don't move too much, or the poison will spread.” Kakashi-sensei then advised, not unkindly.

A deep sigh made its way past Sakura's lips, and she closed her backpack again. There was nothing useful to find in there. She then got up, placed the bag where it had been before and turned to the current source of her worry.

“Let me see.” She took a step toward him, only for the blonde-haired boy to take a step back.

Naruto pressed his injured hand to his chest. “Sakura-chan...” He trailed-off, and Sakura watched as an unmistakable shame settled in his face as he casted his eyes downwards. He had been frozen, paralyzed by his fear, during the fight, and it was only because of Sasuke that he was still alive.

Sakura opened her mouth to retort, to _insist_ that he let her help him, but another voice swallowed the silence before her own could. “Tazuna-san.” The tone was all but friendly.

Hesitant, Sakura averted her gaze from Naruto to Kakashi-sensei. The jōnin, for his part, had just finished tying their surprise opponents to a thick tree, and they stared at him with matching looks full of murderous intent – it made Sakura shudder, and she hugged her own body.

“W-what is it?” Tazuna-san asked after a second too long, panic dripping from his voice, so much of it that Sakura found herself frowning in confusion – what was the bridge builder afraid of now?

Kakashi-sensei rose again, and his one visible eye zeroed in on Tazuna-san. “I need to talk to you. These guys are chūnin-class ninja from Kiri.” He stated and, for the first time, Sakura took a good look at the hitai-ate around one of their opponents' head. “They are ninjas known to keep fighting, no matter what.”

Tazuna-san opened his mouth, just to close it again when no sound came out of it. Instead, another voice filled the air, an unfamiliar sound that came from one of the attackers.

“How did you read our movements?” He asked, still glaring at Kakashi-sensei with that very same aggressive look. His mouth was hidden behind some strange mask, but Sakura didn't need to look at it for his scowl to seem complete and threatening.

Kakashi-sensei merely shrugged. “On a sunny day like this, when it hasn't rained in days, a water puddle shouldn't exist.” He explained, all too nonchalant.

A water puddle. That was what had ticked him off. And Sakura had failed to notice that. She had been reading a book – a book that was now on the ground, wrinkled and dirty – and she had failed to take her surroundings into account. On her very first mission outside of the village, no less.

How could she have been _so stupid_?

Now, Naruto was injured – because she had been careless, because she had been paralyzed for far too long. Because she was still weak, useless, just like she had been when she was younger, when her weakness separated her from her family.

The guilt that amassed in Sakura's heart threatened to crush her.

“Why did you let the brats fight when you knew that?” Tazuna-san inquired, attracting everyone's attention back to him. He appeared to regret the decision soon enough, and his shoulders tensed.

“If I had wanted to, I could have killed these two instantly.” Kakashi-sensei stated, sparing a short glance at the pair of tied-up shinobi. “But there was something I needed to find out. Their target.” Once again, his eye zeroed in on Tazuna-san.

The bridge builder swallowed. “What do you mean?” He asked, his voice a bit hoarse.

“Meaning, were they after you, or one of us?” Kakashi-sensei retorted and, although his tone was nonchalant, the visible part of his face was anything but. “We haven't heard that there are shinobis after you. Our mission was to simply protect you from thieves and gangs.” His onyx eye hardened. “This has now become a B-Rank mission, at least.”

Sakura froze. _B-Rank_, the kind of missions assigned to experienced chūnin, not to a trio still fresh out of the Academy. The kunoichi's green eyes snapped to Naruto, who still kept his injured hand pressed to his chest. A lump formed in her throat, and she struggled to swallow it.

This could've been _so much worse_.

She forced herself to pay attention to Kakashi-sensei, as the jōnin resumed his speech. “This was supposed to be simple protection until you completed the bridge. If it was known that ninjas were after you, this mission would have been an expensive B-Rank.” He said, again. “I'm sure you have your reasons, but it causes problems when you lie about the mission details. We are now operating outside of our duties.”

Information was important. It assured that the right shinobi would be assigned to a mission. It was what stopped jōnin from being wasted on D-Rank missions, and what prevented genin from being sent to the slaughter in an effort to complete an A-Rank or S-Rank.

Team 7, as it was, wasn't supposed to take on a B-Rank mission. They weren't prepared – Naruto's injury and Sakura's initial paralysis were proof of that, even if Sasuke seemed competent enough.

She drew her eyebrows together. “Does that mean we're quitting the mission?” She asked, placing her attention on Kakashi-sensei. The answer to that question was just logical, but the white-haired man looked pensive all the same.

“Hmm...” He hummed, scratching his chin. “This might be too much. I guess we should return to the village so Rin can treat Naruto.” He stated, appearing and sounding a little absent-minded.

Sakura winced. Rin-nee would be beside herself with worry, and the pink-haired girl wasn't eager to witness it. She didn't like causing the medic any sort of distress.

The distinct sound of flesh being torn apart made Sakura's eyes bulge, and she turned to see Naruto burying the sharp blade of a kunai on the back of his hand, where their attackers had injured him. She felt like all oxygen had been stripped from her lungs, and blood drained from her face.

“Naruto!” She managed to force the name out, as breathless as it sounded. “What are you doing?!”

He paid her no mind. Instead, he looked ahead, at where Tazuna-san was standing, and there was a fierce kind of resolve shining in his ocean eyes. His eyebrows were drawn together, and his lips were pressed closed. Sakura had never seen him look so serious.

“With this kunai, I'll protect the old man.” He said, strong and sure, leaving no room for arguing. “We're continuing the mission, dattebayo!” His words trembled with unmistakable pain, the kunai still buried in his flesh, but his confident smile was bright and honest all the same.

Sakura's face softened, if only a bit. Naruto truly never ceased to surprise her.

Kakashi-sensei's voice broke her out of her thoughts. “Naruto, it's good that you are releasing the poison, but...” He hesitated, but there was a hint of mirth in his words that Sakura couldn't ignore. She narrowed her eyes as he went on. “Anymore and you'll die from blood loss. Seriously.”

The kunoichi's eye twitched.

“No!” Naruto flung the kunai away from his own hand, eyes wide with panic. “That's bad! I can't die from something like this, dattebayo!”

“Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura chimed in. She glared at her jōnin-sensei for a brief moment before she turned her attention to her now terrified knucklehead of a brother. “He's just kidding, Naruto. Let me see your hand.”

The blonde-haired genin did as she asked with no hesitation, and Sakura narrowed her eyes at the wound that stared back at her. It was deep, blood still oozing from it, and the kunoichi could feel worry and fear mixing with the anger that festered inside of her chest, making her heart constrict.

She dragged her gaze back to Naruto, making sure to let all her displeasure shine in her face. “You idiot, are you a masochist?” Sakura spat out the words in anger as her chest felt tighter and tighter. “What were you thinking?”

Then, she took his injured hand in between her own as a green glow radiated out of her skin. The wound was easy enough to heal, even for someone as unexperienced as her – _far too easy_, Sakura noticed, the creased in her brow deepening.

Accelerated healing was a product of having a bijū’s chakra inside one’s body, or so Rin had said.

“Rin has certainly taught you a lot, hasn't she?” The sudden sound of Kakashi-sensei's voice was enough to catch her attention, and Sakura's eyes snapped to the jōnin who stared at her with what she could dare call satisfaction bright in his sole visible onyx iris.

Sakura dragged her gaze back to Naruto, her attention resting again on his injury. “She never had a lot of time to spare, but, whenever she did, we would train together.” She smiled at a particularly fond memory – the first time she had success in healing something with the Mystical Palm.

It had been a spur of the moment decision, when Rin-nee cut herself while making dinner. Sakura had always been aware of the medic's capabilities, but that didn't stop her from gathering the now familiar green chakra in her hand and healing the small cut. Rin had smiled at her, so brightly that Sakura was almost blinded by it, and ruffled her hair while saying “_that’s my girl_”.

To this day, it was still one of Sakura's happiest memories.

“Hmm, hey...” Naruto's strangely timid voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “Am I going to be okay, Sakura-chan?” He asked, staring at her with wide, fearful eyes.

She almost considered dragging the healing for a bit more time, just so he could learn not to make such reckless decisions and worry her so much, but Sakura couldn't stand to see that fear marring the ocean in his eyes. She smiled, and her hands stopped glowing as she took a step back.

“See for yourself.” She replied, and Naruto did as he was told.

His eyes bulged comically as he examined his own hand. Instead of the deep, bleeding cut he had inflicted on himself, only a small, reddish line served as a testimony to his previous action. Sakura was still learning – she was nowhere near Nee-san's level, or even a match for any medic working in the Konoha Hospital – but, at age twelve, she could get enough of the job done.

The Kyuubi would take care of what she couldn't, the pink-haired kunoichi supposed.

Naruto looked at her with unashamed wonder in his gaze. “Wow. You're amazing, Sakura-chan!” He exclaimed and, without missing a beat, engulfed her in a tight hug, expressing his thanks over and over again.

She rewarded him with a playful shove on his shoulder when he finally released her. “You better not make me go through that again, you idiot.” She replied, narrowing her eyes as he nodded with far too much enthusiasm and not enough thought behind the acquiescence.

He would truly be the source of all the grey hair she would develop in the future, wouldn't he?

Sakura's eyes snapped to Tazuna-san at the hesitant sound of his voice. “Sensei...” He was looking at Kakashi, insecurity deep-seated in every line in his face. He took a deep breath. “I have to talk to you. It's about this mission.”

Kakashi-sensei nodded, and Sakura saw every hint of mirth immediately vanish from the white-haired man's eye. He said nothing, waiting for Tazuna-san to go on, and so the client did.

“You're right. This job is most likely outside of your duties.” The bridge builder looked down, at his own feet. “It turns out that a super dangerous man is after my life.”

Beside Sakura, Naruto tilted his head to the side. “Super dangerous man?” He repeated, a mixture of confusion and curiosity in his face.

“Who?” Kakashi-sensei asked, his attention never leaving Tazuna-san.

The bridge builder still refused to meet his eye. “You've probably at least heard his name before.” He swallowed, looking around for a brief second, as if searching for more dangers, before he went on. “The wealthy shipping magnate, a man named Gatō.”

That name was familiar, but Sakura couldn't quite put a finger on it. She turned to Kakashi-sensei at the sound of his sharp intake of breath.

“Huh? Gatō? From that Gatō Company?” The white-haired man asked, not bothering to mask his surprise. “He's said to be one of the wealthiest people in the world.”

“Yes.” Tazuna-san replied, keeping his head down. “Officially, he runs a large shipping company. But secretly, he sells drugs and other illegal items, using shinobis and gang members to take over businesses and countries. He's a very nasty man.”

Sakura's entire body stiffened. Yes, she had heard of the Gatō Company – she doubted there was a person in the Land of Fire who hadn't – but Tazuna-san's tale made her stomach churn. A nasty man, indeed.

The bridge builder continued his explanation. “It was about one year ago when he set his eyes on the Land of Waves.” He let out a deep sigh. “Through money and violence, he quickly took control of the country's shipping industry. Gatō now has a monopoly on all business traffic in the country. The only thing he has to fear now is the completion of the bridge.”

Because the bridge would turn into an alternative trade route, one this Gatō man would have little control over. It would break his monopoly and lose him money. Sakura could understand why he would be so against the bridge and its builder.

“I see...” The pink-haired girl broke the silence that settled in the air. She looked down, her hand on her chin, her face thoughtful. “Since you're building the bridge, you're in the way.” She ground her teeth – Gatō had the intention of killing an innocent if a bit abrasive man just so he could keep making more money than he would ever be able to spend in his lifetime.

Nasty wasn't the right word – it wasn't nearly enough.

“So, those ninjas were hired by Gatō?” Sasuke asked next, looking pensive as he stared at Tazuna-san, who silently nodded in response.

Naruto shortened the distance between his mouth and Sakura's ear. “I don't get it.” He whispered, and she sighed. The blonde-haired jinchūriki could be even smarter than her when it came to some things, but he could also be far too obtuse about others.

“I'll explain it to you later.” She promised, because they had little time now. It seemed to be good enough for Naruto, for he nodded and took a step back, his eyes finding Tazuna-san again.

Sakura averted her gaze to Kakashi-sensei when he spoke. “But what I don’t understand is, if you knew ninjas could be after you, why did you hide that fact when you hired us?” He inquired.

“The Land of Waves is super poor.” Tazuna-san was quick to respond. “Even the Daimyo has no money. Of course, we don't have much money either.” His shoulders sagged. “Not enough for an expensive B-Rank mission.”

Inside of her chest, Sakura's heart constricted a bit more. The payment they would receive for this mission was thirty thousand ryō, and that was probably everything Tazuna-san had. There was no way for him to pay for a B-Rank mission, since the cheapest of those were no less than a hundred-fifty thousand ryō.

It wasn't fair.

Tazuna-san was still talking, and Sakura turned to him again. “Well, if you quit the mission now, I will definitely be killed.” Then, much to the kunoichi's surprise, he smiled a wide, playful smile that made her eyebrows draw together in confusion – what exactly was his deal? “But don't worry about it! If I die, my cute ten-years-old grandson will just cry for a few days!” He exclaimed. “Oh yeah, and my daughter will live a sad life hating Konoha ninja forever. But it won't be your fault. Not at all!”

Sakura stared, her mouth hanging open, and, beside her, Naruto mimicked her expression. Really? Was Tazuna-san actually trying to guilt trip them? Because he sure was succeeding – at least with the pink-haired kunoichi.

Kakashi-sensei's shoulders sagged. “Well, I guess we have no choice.” He responded, clearly not immune to Tazuna-san's, huh... argument, either. “We will protect you, at least until you get back to your country.”

A wide, bright grin appeared on the bridge builder's face. His satisfaction was kind of mocking.

“Rin's going to kill me.” Sakura heard Kakashi-sensei whisper, and she looked at him again only to find the jōnin scratching his head, onyx eye filled with a nervousness that the kunoichi couldn’t help but share.

Because, in truth, Nee-san was going to murder them all.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

The boat was small, barely enough to fit Team 7, Tazuna-san and the man in charge of guiding it through the water. Not only that, but Sakura found herself unable to see anything due to the thick mist around her – she wondered how the ferryman could even navigate with such poor visibility.

“What a thick mist.” She commented, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I can't see ahead.”

“We should see the bridge soon.” The ferryman explained. His face was hard, just like his voice, and he stared ahead without batting an eye. “The Land of Waves is at the base of the bridge.”

Sakura merely nodded in response.

For a few minutes, the silence hanged in the air, interrupted only by the distinct sounds of the boat on the water. It made Naruto's voice all the more boisterous when, through the mist, they managed to finally see something – an enormous, still unfinished bridge.

“Wow!” The blonde-haired boy shouted, excited. “It's huge, dattebayo!” Much bigger than Sakura had expected, in all honesty, although she didn't know exactly _what_ she had expected.

“Hey, be quiet!” The ferryman hissed, unfriendly, and Naruto turned to him with wide eyes. “Why do you think we are hiding in this mist and not using the engine? We'll be in deep trouble if Gatō finds us.” He was right – stealth was essential at this point, and Naruto couldn't be stealthy to save his life, unless a prank was involved.

Sakura elbowed the blonde-haired boy in the ribs in order to catch his attention, and, as he turned to her with indignant eyes, she placed her index finger in front of her lips. He pouted but ultimately nodded. No word left his mouth after that.

The ferryman was the one who broke the silence, and even his voice could barely be heard. “We'll be there soon.” He informed, guiding the boat inside some kind of tunnel. “Tazuna... it looks like we've avoided detection so far, but, just in case, we'll take the route that has vegetation. It'll make it harder for the enemies to spot us.”

This sort of strategy suggested something steady, a plan that was used often. Just how much power did Gatō have over the Land of Waves if he caused the people to develop their own secret routes in order to escape his eyes and those of his subordinates?

“Thanks.” Tazuna-san replied, and he sounded sincere.

The tunnel came to an end, and the mist wasn't as thick outside of it. Sakura's eyes widened, filled with wonder as she took in the vegetation. The trees were enormous, with thick, uneven roots that dived into the water and darkened trunks and leaves. It would've rendered the kunoichi breathless even if she weren't as kin to nature as she was.

Beside her, Naruto was just as amazed, and he didn't resist the exclamation that crossed his mouth. “Wow!” At that, Sakura elbowed him again, and he pressed his lips together, mildly embarrassed.

The ferryman led the boat to what looked like a makeshift pier, and Kakashi-sensei left the vessel before turning to help Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke to do the same. Tazuna-san was the last to leave, and he turned to the man who would be staying behind.

“This is it for me.” The ferryman, whose name Sakura didn't remember being told, said. “Goodbye and good luck.” His eyes never left Tazuna-san, and his face never once softened.

“Yeah, thank you so much.” The bridge builder replied, and he sounded much kinder than he had been whenever he spoke to Naruto. He turned to Team 7 as soon as the boat and its owner vanished amidst the mist again. “Okay! Get me home safely.”

Sakura sighed at his cheerful demand, and, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kakashi-sensei's shoulders sagging again. “Yes, yes.” The jōnin said, already sounding tired of everything.

This time, Tazuna-san was their guide, since their next destination was his village, and he walked a bit ahead of the rest of the group, with Kakashi-sensei trailing closely behind in case something went wrong again. The trio of genin simply followed.

Sasuke was silent, walking with his hands buried in his pockets as his vigilant eyes looked around. Sakura could appreciate that, and she did the same, if only so she would be ready to protect Naruto in case of another attack. The blonde-haired boy, for his part, was frantic.

He ran around with narrowed eyes, shooting his attention to everything that as much as existed in close proximity to him. It would have been endearing if it weren't so annoying.

Suddenly, he tensed for a brief second, just for his body to turn around as he hurled a shuriken at a nearby bush. “There!” He exclaimed, but nothing happened as the weapons disappeared between the leaves. Still, he was far too pleased with himself, a smug smirk on his face. “Heh, just a rat.”

Sakura's eye twitched, and she tried to take a deep breath. It wasn't enough, and she still exploded at the mere sight of his conceited posture. “Stop trying to act cool! There was nothing there!” She exclaimed, feeling as if steam could be coming out of her ears.

She knew Naruto all too well not to understand what this was about. The looks he had been giving Sasuke ever since the Demon Brothers – as Kakashi-sensei had identified them – attacked weren't subtle. Because Sasuke had fought in his first real battle, and Naruto hadn't.

This was just one more thing that they would turn into a competition. Sakura was sick of it already, honestly – she had enough of it back in Konoha, with the boys' need to turn their daily lap around the village into a race and their rivalry about who could climb a tree first.

Sasuke had won that one, and Naruto had doubled down his efforts when it came to water walking. It was exhausting in itself.

Kakashi-sensei's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “Please, stop using shuriken.” He advised, unimpressed. He stared at Naruto with a deadpan expression. “It's seriously dangerous.”

Tazuna-san, for his part, wasn't nearly as calm. “Hey, midget! Stop acting like a moron!” The old man exclaimed, glaring at the blonde-haired boy.

Of course, that wasn't enough to deter Naruto, and he continued to look around frantically. “Hey, I think I see a shadow!” He announced, enthusiastically pulling one more shuriken from his pouch and hurling it toward yet another bush. “There!”

Again, nothing happened, and Sakura grabbed the blonde-haired boy by the wrist before he could get another dangerous weapon to throw around. “Naruto, just stop!” She hissed between clenched teeth.

This mission had become much more dangerous than any of them could predict, and Sakura would rather not find out who were the other ninja under Gatō's employ. She didn't wish to test her ability to protect Naruto against them again – she had already failed the first time.

The blonde-haired boy turned to her with a pout. “Somebody is after us, I swear.” He insisted.

Sakura sighed, releasing his wrist in favor of putting her hands on her waist. “Yeah, right.” It was only when Kakashi-sensei went to check the bushes that she stopped glaring at Naruto and turned to the white-haired man. A brief sound escaped her lips. “Oh.”

She stared at a knocked-out white rabbit that was lying just beneath where Naruto had thrown his shuriken. The poor thing must have passed out from the fear, but it didn't seem otherwise injured.

Sakura pressed the bridge of her nose between her fingers as Naruto rushed to the small animal.

“I didn't mean it, dattebayo!” He screamed, taking the rabbit in his arms. “I'm sorry, little bunny!” Then, he turned his attention back to Sakura, staring at her with desperate, guilt-filled eyes. “You can fix him, right, Sakura-chan?!”

She frowned – just who did he think she was? Hana was probably better suited to take care of that situation and, even then, she wasn't necessary. The bunny wasn't hurt, just passed out.

“Oh, just a rabbit.” Tazuna-san commented, letting out a sigh of relief.

Sakura nodded, and she watched as Naruto tried and failed to wake up the animal. A deep crease settled in her brow as she took in the pristine white of the bunny's fur.

What was a snow rabbit even doing here, in the middle of spring?

“_Everyone, get down!_”

Sakura threw herself toward Naruto, pushing him to the ground. She felt more than saw something flying through the air, passing where her head and Naruto's had been just a few milliseconds ago, and then she landed on top of her blonde-haired brother.

She remained on the ground, keeping Naruto there as well, and raised her head to see an enormous sword buried in the thick trunk of a tree. There was a man standing on its long hilt, with his back to Team 7 and Tazuna-san.

The pink-haired girl felt a shiver go down her spine when he looked at them all over his shoulder. The look in his eyes... she had seen it before, in the bandit who tried to kill her so many years ago. Only, this man's was somehow _so much worse_.

She wouldn't be forgetting it any time soon.

Naruto started to struggle beneath her, and Sakura found it in herself to get up. Still, she remained in between the blonde-haired boy and the newcomer, her left-hand itching for the senbon launcher in her right arm.

“Well, well...” Kakashi-sensei broke the heavy silence that settled in the air, and Sakura could not read the emotion underlying the words. “If it isn't Kiri's missing-nin, Momochi Zabuza.” He said, never once moving his gaze away from the other shinobi. “Everybody, get back. This one is on a whole other level.”

Sakura swallowed, stepping closer to Naruto. Her hands trembled, and she struggled to keep them steady – she couldn't falter, not now.

“It will be a little tough.” Kakashi-sensei stated, taking a hand to his face – no, to his hitai-ate. He moved it up, allowing the people surrounding him to see what was hidden beneath. Sakura's eyes widened. “Unless I do this.”

The Konoha Police Force was long gone, seeing as there were no more Uchiha other than Sasuke. Still, their eyes were hard to forget – blood-colored, with three black tomoes swimming in a pool of red, around the pupil. Kakashi-sensei had the eye of an Uchiha.

He had the sharingan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me? posting two chapters in less than a week? a true miracle, if I can say so myself lmao
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. please let me know what you think about it. if you liked it, if there's something you want to see happen in this story, a character you want to see. I always appreciate the feedback. thank you so much for supporting this fic. it's really important to me. I managed to reply to last chapter's comments already, but everything else will have to wait for the weekend. I'm kinda short on time right now. but please know that I appreciate every word! thank you so much!!!
> 
> as for the chapter title, internet tells me that achillea is a symbol of protection and healing
> 
> gotta go now
> 
> see ya!


	9. edelweiss

Sakura stared, gaping. However, no matter how long she watched, the red eye didn't vanish, didn't _change_. The sharingan remained, bright and deadly, zeroed in on the rogue ninja still perched on the hilt of his sword.

The nukenin still had his back to Team 7. “You appear to be Kakashi of the Sharingan.” He stated, staring at the jōnin over his shoulder. “Sorry, but... that old man in mine.” His voice was deep and so calm that he seemed to be talking about something as trivial as the weather.

Beside her, Sasuke gasped, but Sakura paid him no mind, especially when Kakashi-sensei was so quick to drown the silence with his own voice.

“Surround and protect Tazuna-san.” He ordered, despite not turning to his students, who were fast to do as told. “Do not enter the fight. That's the teamwork here.” Finally, he moved his hand away from his hitai-ate and reached for a kunai in his pouch. “Zabuza, first... fight me.”

A slow chuckle came from the rogue ninja – a deep sound that sent a fearful shiver down Sakura's spine. “Ah. I already get to see the famous sharingan.” He said, amused. “I'm honored.” He didn't seem intimidated in the least, and Sakura had read about the dōjutsu's abilities.

Just how strong was this guy, if he held no fear of the famous sharingan?

Sakura had to stop herself from jumping when the sudden sound of Naruto's voice caught her off-guard. “Sharingan! Sharingan!” He repeated, annoyed. “What the hell is that?!”

The kunoichi's eye twitched, and she had half a mind to scold him for attracting so much attention to himself – protecting him was already too hard without him painting a big, orange-colored target on his own back – but Sasuke spoke first.

“Sharingan...” He repeated slowly, his face hard. “It is said that some have the ability in their eyes to read and defeat all types of genjutsu, taijutsu and ninjutsu. The sharingan is one of the types of pupil that gives you this power.” He said, seeming immersed in his own thoughts. “But that's not the only ability the sharingan has.”

Naruto frowned. “Huh?”

Before Sasuke could continue, Zabuza let out another short, deep chuckle. “Exactly.” He replied. The rogue ninja was still standing on the hilt of his sword, but he finally turned around to face the Konoha group. “That's not all. What's even scarier is that you can copy your opponent's techniques once you see them.”

That small piece of information still didn't fail to surprise Sakura, even if she already knew it. She had come across it during her studies a while ago, mainly because she had been curious about the police officers' eyes and what exactly made them different from Kurenai-shishou's own red irises. Even now, that particular ability was intimidating.

And, as far as she knew, the sharingan was exclusive to the Uchiha Clan. So, how come her sensei had it, being a Hatake?

Zabuza's deep voice broke her out of her thoughts. “When I was a member of Kiri's ANBU, I kept a handbook.” He stated, staring down at Kakashi-sensei. “It included information on you, and this is what it said. ‘The man who has copied over a thousand jutsu. Copy Ninja Kakashi.’”

_A thousand jutsu?!_ Sakura's jade eyes shot to her sensei again. He didn't react to the rogue ninja's words, which was just another reason for her to conclude that Zabuza wasn't lying or exaggerating.

Kakashi-sensei had wiped the floor with her and Naruto, but she knew that even then he had been holding back. That being said, what was the real power gap between the jōnin and his genin trio?

The mere thought made the pink-haired girl close her hands into fists, nails digging into her palms.

“Now, let's end all the talking.” Zabuza broke the silence, and Sakura's eyes snapped to him again. He crouched, his hand reaching for the long hilt beneath his feet. “I have to kill the old man. But... Kakashi, it seems I have to beat you first.”

Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone, along with his enormous sword.

Sakura's body stiffened, and her left hand reached for the senbon launcher on her right arm. Wide, nervous emerald eyes looked around, desperately searching for the dangerous nukenin, but found nothing for what felt like a small eternity.

But, finally, something far away caught her attention, and her voice tore through her throat at the same time Naruto's filled the heavy air.

“Over there!”

“On the water!”

Zabuza was standing far away, on the water, his sword on his back. He had one arm raised, while his other hand formed a seal of confrontation.

“Ninja Art: Hiding in Mist Jutsu.”

The mist grew thicker, and it took no more than a few short seconds for Zabuza to disappear from view. Sakura's fingers tightened around the strings of her senbon launcher. “He's gone!” She said, wild green eyes searching around again, only to find nothing. She could barely see anything at all now.

“He'll come after me first.” Kakashi-sensei stated, and Sakura's gaze shot to him again. “Momochi Zabuza. As Kiri shinobi, he was known as an expert on silent killing. You don't even notice until you're already dead.” The kunoichi swallowed, and she allowed herself to briefly look at Naruto.

She had to protect him, somehow. No matter the cost. But, what chance did she have against this person that Kakashi-sensei was describing? Her fingers tightened around the string yet again, her knuckles turning whiter and whiter.

“It's not like I can use the sharingan perfectly.” Kakashi-sensei said, taking a brief second to look at his genin team over his shoulder. “You guys be careful.”

Sakura simply nodded, more to herself than to Kakashi-sensei, and pulled the now familiar strings, getting ready to shoot if necessary. Her senbon were coated in poison – courtesy of Rin-nee – and its paralyzing properties ought to be helpful, or so the pink-haired girl hoped.

“The mist is getting thicker!” Naruto shouted all of a sudden, looking around desperately. Sakura swallowed, but offered him no response, no words of comfort – she had none to give.

Nor the time to think of any, for an abrupt sound made her freeze. “_Eight choices._”

The voice didn't come from any specific direction, entrenched in the mist itself, and Sakura looked around, alarmed. “Huh? What?!” Her own voice sounded too loud, and she struggled to swallow the lump that made itself home in her throat.

Zabuza spoke again, his voice slow and deep, from wherever he was. “_Liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, neck vein, brain, kidneys, heart_.” He cited, and each word seemed to constrict Sakura's heart a bit more. “_Which one should I go after?_”

He was toying with them – that much was obvious. However, the knowledge itself didn't make it any less terrifying. It was just like that day, when Sakura was still a small, defenseless kid waiting for death to come in the form of a horrible man with a kunai.

Even after so long, nothing had changed. She still couldn't protect herself, or anyone else.

She felt it then. The air – heavy and oppressive and _suffocating_ with killing intent. Like she would be killed if she made even the slightest move. Like her life was being squeezed out of her.

Her body faltered, and she nearly couldn't take it. She'd almost rather die now and get it over with, if only so this feeling wouldn't drive her insane, if only-

No.

She clenched her teeth – she couldn't be a coward; not like she had been before when the Demon Brothers attacked. Not now, nor ever again. Her lower lip found itself between her teeth, and she bit it hard enough to draw blood – the pain did its job, and Sakura felt just a bit more alert.

“Sasuke.” The sound of Kakashi-sensei's voice made her turn to him again. The jōnin was looking over his shoulder, at the boy standing beside Sakura – Sasuke, whose entire body was shaking so much that she could barely believe it. “Don't worry. I'll protect you guys even if it kills me. I don't let my comrades die.”

Kakashi-sensei smiled beneath his mask, and Sakura remembered what Rin-nee had told her, how the white-haired jōnin had saved the medic so long ago. He would keep his promise – the kunoichi just knew it.

“_We'll see about that._” Zabuza's voice filled the air once again, and the warm hope that had started to blossom in Sakura's chest met its end. She stiffened, and her eyes darted around, searching for their opponent – useless as the action proved to be.

It happened in a flash.

The air shifted around Sakura, and she looked over her shoulder – eyes wide with terror – to find Zabuza there, in between the genin trio and Tazuna-san.

“It's over.” The rogue ninja said, and it was all Sakura heard before she was knocked to the ground by Kakashi-sensei, who did the same to Naruto and Sasuke right before he grabbed Zabuza.

Sakura hadn't even seen any of them _move_.

She remained on the ground, paralyzed, and her fingers gripped the grass beneath her body as her heart raced in her chest. Her wide eyes never left the scene before her.

Kakashi-sensei had a kunai to Zabuza's back, the blade buried deep into the nukenin's flesh. Blood oozed from the wound, slow and steady. Except it wasn't red – it wasn't _blood_. That was-

That was _water_.

“Sensei!” Naruto shouted. “Behind you!”

There was _another_ Zabuza, standing behind Kakashi-sensei. He raised his sword at the same time that his clone dissolved into water, and Kakashi-sensei looked at him over his shoulder just as the unforgivable blade sliced through his body.

Sakura screamed, the sound tearing through her throat in the most painful way.

The two parts of Kakashi-sensei's body dissolved into water, just like Zabuza's clone before. And then, the jōnin was there, standing right behind the nukenin, holding a kunai to his neck.

“Don't move.” Kakashi-sensei said. “It's over.”

He- he _won_?

Sakura let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her lungs were burning, and her heartbeat was nearly painful in her ribcage. She didn't dare to blink, and her gaze remained glued to the two men until another voice destroyed the heavy silence.

“Wow!” Naruto exclaimed, his eyes shining with admiration for their sensei.

Sakura nearly allowed herself to smile, but any attempt to do so died as soon as she heard someone chuckling – _Zabuza_.

The pink-haired girl's body stiffened again, and she remained still as the nukenin started to speak. “... it's over?” He repeated sardonically. “You don't get it. There's no way you can defeat me with your monkey-like imitations.” He stated, not appearing bothered by the kunai pressed against his neck. “But that was impressive of you. At that time, you had already copied my water clone jutsu.”

He chuckled again, seeming more and more amused at each word that left his mouth, and Sakura couldn't help but feel as if she was under the influence of his killing intent again – afraid, helpless.

Just _what _was this guy?

“You had your clone say those words to attract my attention while the real you stayed in the mist and watched.” Zabuza went on, amused and unbothered. “Nice plan. But...”

The next words didn't come from his mouth – not from this one, at least.

“I'm also not that easy.” Zabuza stated, standing behind Kakashi-sensei. He pressed a kunai to the jōnin's neck as the water clone in front of the white-haired man dissolved.

“That one's fake too, dattebayo!” Naruto screamed, sounding so afraid, _so desperate_, that Sakura wanted nothing more than to run to him, to protect him. And yet she could barely force herself to get up from the ground.

Then, Zabuza and Kakashi-sensei started moving again. Their movements were fast and sure, and Sakura could barely keep up, as much as she tried. She could see the giant sword swinging as well as flashes of white hair, but everything else was hard to identify – they were so _fast_.

Was this the true power of a jōnin?

And, just as suddenly as the fight had begun, Kakashi-sensei was flying toward the water. He fell into it, and his body disappeared on the liquid. Sakura followed every movement as if it happened in slow motion, until her eyes could no longer see the white-haired jōnin.

“Foolish.” Zabuza stated, just as Naruto screamed in desperation. “SENSEI!”

Kakashi-sensei finally emerged from the water, but the sigh of relief got caught in Sakura's throat when she saw Zabuza suddenly standing behind him, his hands already forming seals.

“Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu.”

“What?!” Kakashi-sensei exclaimed as water beneath him rose and surrounded him, making some kind of round prison. His mismatched eyes were wide – and Sakura couldn't help but think that it felt wrong to see so much _fear_ there.

“You tried to escape to the water. Big mistake.” Zabuza stated. “Now I have you in an inescapable prison. It's tougher if you can't move, you know? Now... Kakashi, we can finish things later. First, I'll take care of them.” His free hand, the one that wasn't connected to the water prison, formed a seal. “Water Clone Jutsu.”

Another Zabuza emerged from the ground, right in front of Team 7, dripping water.

The nukenin maintaining Kakashi-sensei's prison was the one who spoke, though. “Wearing those headbands and acting like ninja.” He scoffed as he stared at the genin trio. “A real ninja is someone who has survived numerous brushes with death.” He said. “Only when you're good enough to be listed in my handbook, can you start calling yourselves ninja. You are not ninja.”

Then, in the blink of an eye, the water clone was gone.

“He disappeared again?!” The words had barely left Naruto's mouth when Sakura saw it, and her body moved before her mind could ever hope to catch up to it. She threw herself in front of Naruto just as the enormous blade came lashing down.

A piercing scream tore through her throat.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

For a short moment, Naruto did nothing more than watch. He saw everything as if it happened in slow motion – as if it were happening to someone else. The water clone appeared in front of him and his sword came down, ready to slice Naruto in two. Then, just as suddenly, Sakura-chan was there, her gloved hands stopping the blade.

And she was screaming. Naruto didn't think he'd ever be able to forget that sound.

It was short-lived, though. The pink-haired girl bit her lip, swallowing the scream, but didn't make another movement. She stood there, her arms shaking, and her hands coated in blazing blue chakra as she continued to hold Zabuza's sword by the blade that was already half-buried in her palms.

Finally, Naruto found his voice again. “SAKURA-CHAN!” He shouted in desperation, unable to move his now watery gaze away from the blood pouring out of her hands.

“What are you doing, you idiot?!” Sakura soon shouted back, and she sounded out of breath. His eyes widened in response, but he didn't move, and so she yelled again, not turning to him. “Run!” She ordered – _begged _– even as her gaze refused to leave the dark-haired man towering over her.

The clone tilted his head to the side with little interest and pressed his sword down with one hand. Sakura's knees buckled under such weight, and Naruto heard her hiss in pain, fingers gripping the blade with so much force that it drained all the color from her knuckles. Her arms trembled as the effort started to wear her down.

Was this Zabuza guy that much stronger than her? Naruto had never known anyone stronger than Sakura-chan. Not when it came to sheer brute force, at least.

Zabuza's clone then yanked the blade from the kunoichi's grasp, and more blood – _more of Sakura-chan's blood_ – spilled. Naruto stood there, frozen, as the sword's sudden movement tore the girl's hitai-ate away from her head, sending it flying away, just as the rogue ninja raised his leg and hit Sakura with a push kick.

Her body collided against Naruto's, sending them both rolling several feet backwards. The blonde-haired boy found himself under the girl he had grown to call his sister, and he watched with wide eyes as she struggled to get off him.

There was blood everywhere.

Her gloves – the same gloves he had always found so cool – were torn and dirty, and blood oozed from the open wounds on her palms. There was now a small cut on her forehead, from right above her left eyebrow to her hairline, and crimson dripped from it. Her hair – the pink hair he adored – was a mess, lacking the hitai-ate that usually kept her wild bangs away from her face contorted in pain.

Her entire body was trembling, and Naruto didn't think he'd ever seen her look so small.

He placed his hands on her, needing to make sure that she was there, that she was still alive, while his eyes shot to the water clone standing not too far away. Zabuza himself wasn't far behind, still keeping Kakashi-sensei in his water prison.

_This is a jōnin. A real ninja._ Naruto thought, wide eyes never leaving Zabuza. _At this rate... we're really, really going to die, dattebayo!_

Even then, he found that he couldn't force himself to get up, _to move_. Sakura-chan rolled away to sit on the ground beside him, and she was gasping for air, her entire body faltering as she struggled to get up – and he had never once seen her like this. Sakura-chan had always been strong, always the best in their class, always his personal protector.

Seeing her hurt... it felt _so wrong_. And it made him feel like his heart was getting squeezed inside of his chest, hoping to disappear altogether.

“Just brats.” The Zabuza on the lake – _the real Zabuza_ – commented, seeming unimpressed as he stared at the genin trio. He hadn't moved, his hand still stuck into that strange sphere of water.

Inside of it, Kakashi-sensei had never looked so desperate. “Take Tazuna-san and run!” The jōnin yelled, and Naruto could see his bulged, fearful eyes even through the water. “You have no chance of beating him! As long as he's keeping me trapped in this prison, he can't move! The water clone cannot go very far from his real body! Just run away now!” He pleaded.

But Naruto couldn't move. _He couldn't move_. Just like when the Demon Brothers attacked, before.

He was going to die. He was going to die here. He was-

“Give that back.”

Naruto's eyes shot to Sakura at the sudden sound of her voice. His best friend – _his sister_ – got up slowly, her arms dangling at her sides.

Her hands still oozed blood, but a bright, familiar jade chakra coated them now, mending the skin together. The gash on her forehead was also bathed in that same comforting emerald glow, which slowly stopped the bleeding.

Finally, Sakura-chan was standing once again, and her eyes zeroed in on something. Naruto soon followed her gaze to the red-banded hitai-ate on the ground, beneath the water clone's foot.

Sakura-chan's hitai-ate, the one Rin-nee had given her.

“That's my mother's.” The pink-haired girl stated, and her face was uncharacteristically hard, very much different from the kindness he was so used to finding there, as well as the annoyance that'd show up whenever he did something she found stupid or dangerous. “Give it back to me.”

Her mother. Sakura-chan didn't usually talk about her mother, and Naruto didn't ask. Sure, he was a little thick – or so most people told him – but not enough to be ignorant to how much the subject hurt the pink-haired kunoichi. She had once stated that her mother was still alive, and that she had a big sister too, and left it at that. It was enough for him.

Even then, he knew her mother was important to her. Naruto did not understand why this woman, whoever she was, had left Sakura-chan behind, but Sakura loved her all the same, with her entire heart and soul.

Dread washed over Naruto as soon as he realized that there was no way she would be leaving that hitai-ate behind, not if it had belonged to her mother.

He reached for her red top, but it slipped through his fingers before he could get a proper hold of it as its owner dashed forward all of a sudden. And so, Naruto watched, his mouth frozen open in a silent scream, as Sakura ran toward the most dangerous man either of them had ever seen.

Her arms were moving, and a distant part of Naruto's mind realized that she was making a couple of hand seals. The water clone's eyes became glazed for a brief moment before he joined his hands in a seal of his own and muttered “Release!”

Even then, his eyes weren't quite clear yet, and Sakura-chan was still running toward the nukenin, almost reaching him. Naruto's heart hammered painfully against his ribcage.

The water clone swung his blade in an horizontal strike, but Sakura-chan jumped high in order to dodge it. Zabuza's dark eyes, glazed as they were, did not follow the movement, and he attempted another blow just where Sakura had been a few short seconds ago.

It took Naruto far longer than he would care to admit for him to understand.

_Genjutsu_. Sakura-chan had always been the best when it came to genjutsu.

The pink-haired girl was still in the air when her left hand reached for the senbon launcher on her right arm and pulled the strings. A barrage of senbon rained on Zabuza, and the rogue ninja threw himself backwards just in time to avoid the poisonous needles. Sakura-chan fell to the ground not a heartbeat later, and her hand closed around her fallen hitai-ate.

Naruto's mouth parted in an awed smile, but it died shortly after, as the water clone dashed forward again. He grabbed Sakura-chan by her throat before she could move out of his way and then, with his free hand, punched her in the stomach, making her body arch. Naruto's throat ached as a shout tore through it, a sound too incoherent for it to actually be Sakura's name.

The blonde-haired boy stood there, frozen, as Zabuza shoved Sakura-chan on the ground and then kicked her so hard that she flew toward Naruto like a ragged doll. It was what it took to snap him out of his paralysis, and he ran to catch his sister before she reached the earth again.

Secured in his arms, she gasped for air. There was even more blood now, her lips painted crimson, and her otherwise clear skin was dirty, as were her clothes. Her hand, however, was still clenched around her recently-recovered hitai-ate – she hadn't failed, after all.

Still, Sakura-chan was hurt, and he hadn't been able to do a thing to prevent it. His arms tightened around her, if only to keep her in place, to keep her from throwing herself at Zabuza again.

But, even if she didn't, what would he do when Zabuza came after them? How would he keep her safe then? She was the one who had fought up until now – she was the one who had always fought for him.

Naruto looked down, and his now tearful gaze found his hand – the same hand Sakura-chan healed just a few hours ago. Memories of the promise he had made then filled his mind – to continue this mission, to protect the old man. Naruto's hand fisted, and his jaw clenched.

He remembered the raven-haired boy standing not too far behind him, next to Tazuna-san. Sasuke, to whom Naruto refused to lose. _“Are you alright... scaredy cat?”_

He remembered Iruka-sensei, who had believed in him enough to award him his hitai-ate, despite Naruto having failed the exam. _“Naruto come here. I want to give you something. Congratulations on graduating.”_

He remembered Kakashi-sensei – the man who had saved Rin-nee, who was Naruto's sensei, who protected them all from the Demon Brothers and wanted nothing more than for Team 7 to thrive. _“I don't let my comrades die.”_

He remembered Rin-nee, the woman who had given him a home for no reason at all. The woman who had loved and supported him ever since Sakura-chan introduced them. _“You’re a wonderful person, Naruto-kun. You should never let anyone say otherwise.”_

And finally, Naruto turned to Sakura – strong, loving Sakura-chan. She had always protected him, from the very beginning. First, from his own lonely existence, and she had done it with little more than a gentle smile and a bentō.

_“Nee-chan...” The pink-haired girl averted her gaze, her voice trembling. Her eyes were tearful, but that didn't stop her from speaking. “Nee-chan used to say we shouldn't judge people we don't know. And Rin-san told me to make some friends, so...” She trailed off._

_Naruto stared at her, only half-aware of the bentō she was holding out to him. Did she really just say what he thought she did? No, it could not be true. No one had ever wanted to be close to him. Still, he had to ask, if only to calm his pounding heart._

_“You- you want to be my friend, dattebayo?” He asked, not quite able to stop the trembling in his voice, his eyes never leaving this strange, beautiful girl – _Sakura_, she had said._

_Her response was short and sincere, simple and clean. “Yeah.”_

_She wanted to be _his friend _– she really did. Naruto smiled a smile so big that his cheeks hurt and stared in awe as she smiled too – _at him._ She was smiling at him._

Then, Sakura-chan protected him from everyone else. At first, even from Ino, despite the blonde-haired girl being her only friend at the time, having saved Sakura from her own loneliness.

_“He's cool, I promise.” Sakura-chan stated, staring at the Yamanaka girl with pleading eyes. She had placed herself in between Naruto and the newcomer, and her body was stiff with nervousness. “Ino-chan. Trust me.” She asked, in a soft tone that Naruto had yet to learn how to say no to._

_Apparently, so did Yamanaka Ino, for she stared at Naruto with a deep frown before a pout made its way to her mouth. She turned to Sakura-chan, still looking displeased, but no longer as hostile as she had seemed at first._

_“Fine.” She said, begrudgingly. “If it makes you happy. But I still think he's a moron.” The insult was nothing new – nothing Naruto had never heard before, and it didn't hold nearly as much bite as he was used to._

_Still, Sakura-chan didn't appear happy with it, and she crossed her arms tightly. “_Ino._” No suffix. Even Naruto himself felt nervous hearing it, despite it not being directed at him._

_Ino softened almost immediately and, sparing a last displeased look at Naruto, she then smiled at Sakura, who was quick to return the gesture. The blonde-haired boy, for his part, approached his first and only friend._

_“Uh, Sakura-chan...” He whispered in her ear. “Why do we have to hang out with her, dattebayo? She's so annoying.” Apparently, his voice was louder than he had intended it to be, for the blonde-haired girl in question glared at him._

_“You little-” She took a step toward Naruto, who moved to go around Sakura-chan and meet her. _

_However, before any of them could start a fight, Sakura put herself between them again. Her smile was gone, and Naruto felt his stomach turn. He loved her so much already, and he always wanted her to smile – which would really not happen if he didn't get along with her other best friend. So, he turned to Ino, who held his gaze._

_They stared at each other for a brief moment as a silent agreement was formed between them. He didn't like her, and she didn't like him, but both of them loved Sakura-chan. They could get along, if only to make this pink-haired sunshine of a girl smile._

And Sakura-chan continued to protect him, no matter who it was from. The Konoha Police Force hadn't liked her much because of that, before all of them disappeared all of a sudden. Rin-nee was not usually too happy about it either, if only because she'd rather keep them both out of trouble.

_“So, which one of you is going to explain this situation to me?” Rin-nee asked, and her voice was devoid of the kindness Naruto had grown used to. Instead, it held a controlled harshness – a calm disappointment that made the blonde-haired boy avert his gaze from her._

_Her reaction was understandable, he guessed. She was walking Naruto and Sakura back from the Police Force Headquarters, where the children had been taken to after Sakura-chan punched an evil man who had insulted Naruto – and the punch had been so strong that everyone around heard the ugly, scary sound of something snapping._

_Yeah, Rin-nee definitely couldn't be happy, dattebayo._

_At the lack of response, the medic looked over her shoulder, her eyes zeroing in on the pink-haired girl. “Sakura.”_

Sakura. _Not Sakura_-chan. _They were in _so much_ trouble._

_The pink-haired girl continued to stare at the ground as she walked, and her voice was quiet and withdrawn. “He was being mean to Naruto.” She explained, her words still trembling with anger, if only a bit – it had been so much worse before, when she was screaming at that guy._

_Rin-nee stopped walking and turned to them. Her gaze met Naruto, and he was quick to nod. The medic's face softened immediately after that, a hint of sadness tainting her ever-warm brown eyes. Naruto looked away – he hated making her sad._

_“Okay.” Rin-nee said, a small smile gracing her lips. Then, she turned to the girl standing beside Naruto, and a mirthful glint flashed in her eyes. “You're still grounded, though.”_

_Hearing Sakura-chan whining the rest of the way – it was more playful than anything, to be honest – while Rin-nee laughed at her antics, Naruto felt as if he finally knew what a family was like._

Sakura had protected him time and time again. She had healed even his most insignificant cut and bruise ever since she mastered that Magical Palm thingy, or whatever it was called – even before that, she had always been quick to clean and bandage his wounds.

She chased Ami away from him with a nightmarish genjutsu she had learnt from Kurenai-sensei, much to Rin-nee's dismay. She hadn't judged him for being the jinchūriki of the Kyuubi – instead, she had hugged him so tightly that he felt safe for the first time since failing his exam. She always placed herself in between Naruto and whatever it was that she thought could harm him – whether it was a mean civilian or a dangerous ninja.

Like right now. She had prevented this Zabuza guy from killing him twice already, and she injured herself the second time.

She always, _always_ protected him.

And he had to protect her too. If he couldn't, then how could he ever be worthy of being Hokage? More than that, how could he ever be worthy of being someone she loved, someone she had grown to call family?

Naruto let her go slowly and carefully before rising to his feet. Sakura-chan's wide eyes followed his every move. “Naruto, what-?” She started to ask, but he interrupted her soon enough.

“I became a shinobi and decided I wouldn't run anymore. I won't run.” He stated, holding her gaze as her eyes became wider and wider in surprise. “This time, I'll protect you too, Sakura-chan!”

He smiled his best smile at her, watching her mouth fall open as she tried to come up with a reply. But, before she could utter a word, Naruto turned to the rogue ninja standing not too far away and proceeded to point a finger at him, confidence burning in his chest for the first time ever since the Demon Brothers attacked.

“Hey, you eyebrow-less freak!” Zabuza stared at him, unimpressed, but Naruto's wide grin didn't falter. “Put this in your handbook. The man who will one day become Hokage. Uzumaki Naruto!” It was a promise; to Zabuza, to the old man, to Sakura-chan – to Naruto himself.

He would become Hokage, just like he had always dreamed, and he would protect his loved ones, not matter what – _always_.

Finally, Naruto turned to Sakura-chan again, finding her staring at him as if he had grown a second head. She looked uncharacteristically pale, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. His smile still didn't falter, and he gave her a thumbs-up.

“Sakura-chan. You can rest now.” Naruto stated. “Heal yourself. I'll take care of everything now, dattebayo!”

A not so small part of him feared her response – feared that all she would ever see him as was her annoying little brother, whom she had to protect, and never someone she could rely on. His heart pounded in his chest as he waited for her to reply for what felt like too long.

But then... then, she smiled – and small, bloodied as it was, it was still full of trust. Sakura nodded, and the anxiety in Naruto's chest gave way to an everlasting fire.

Now, all he had to do was take a page from Kakashi-sensei's book. Not his suspicious orange one, though – Naruto wasn't sure if he wanted to know what was written there.

“Sasuke, listen!” Naruto called, not bothering to look at the raven-haired boy in question. Instead, he stared at Zabuza, and his confident smile never strayed from his lips as his mind formed a plan.

He _was_ a prankster, after all. The best in Konoha, if he could say so himself.

“What is it?” Sasuke asked, not a heartbeat later.

“I have a plan.” Naruto stated, feeling honestly very much proud of himself. This Zabuza douche wouldn't even know what hit him, dattebayo!

The Uchiha's voice sounded kind of amused when he replied. “Teamwork from you?”

Naruto looked at Sasuke over his shoulder, finding the smallest hint of a smirk on his teammate's mouth. Then, the blonde-haired genin turned to Sakura-chan, who had risen from the ground and was now tearing off her torn, bloodied gloves.

Seeing them both only made Naruto's confidence grow, and he turned to Zabuza again, smirking. “Now, let's get wild!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. I don't know if any of you noticed, but this story no longer has only one author. L is a very good friend of mine, and I've been helping her with this story for a while, but never as the writer. But she's been busy nowadays, and not exactly in the right headspace to write anything, so she asked me to do it for her. The story is still the same and she'll still be a part of it. Just not as the writer. We have similar writing styles, although I do prefer to write in present tense instead of past tense, and I hope you enjoy it all the same. My posting schedule still won't be better than hers, since I'm also busy, but it should be enough for stop this fic from only being updated twice a year. I'll take a while to answer all the comments she let pile up, though, so bear with me. I'll start tomorrow, and I'm hoping to answer everything by the end of the week.
> 
> Please, let me know if you liked this chapter, what you thought about it, as well as anything you want to happen in this fic. Many things will change, to be honest, although most of the changes will become more noticeable during and after the Chūnin Exam Arc. I'm looking forward to getting there, as well as bringing some characters that originally didn't show up so soon. No OCs, though. Feel free to try and guess. That should be fun.
> 
> Also, tell me if there's any character you'd like to see play a bigger role than they did in canon. I can admit that L and I have our favorites, and I suppose it'll be easier to guess who they are as the fic goes on (Sakura, Tsunade, Shizune, Rin and Kurenai are a given), if only because they'll appear much more than they did originally.
> 
> By the way, we are rewriting this story. Not when it comes to plot, though. That will remain exactly the same. I'm just taking a look at the chapters and taking care of typos and such, as well as changing some minor things, like Sakura calling Kurenai shishou instead of sensei. L and I agreed that it works better, and it'll play an important part later on. But there's no need to re-read the story, unless you already intended to do so. Nothing major is changing.
> 
> Apparently, L wants all the titles to be names of flowers, which I understand nothing about. I did some research, though, and apparently edelweiss means courage and devotion? I'm hoping that's right. As I said, I don't know a thing about flowers. But the meaning seemed to fit this chapter, and I hope you approve.
> 
> By the way, can someone recommend me some good Sakura fics? I think I read most of them by now. Time travel ones are always welcome. Time Flies Like An Arrow and A Twist in Time are two of my favorites. I don't care much about ships, so feel free to send me just about anything. Ships with huge age gaps aren't for me, though, so, unless it's a same-age-au or a time travel au, I most probably will rather not read it. Anything else is fair game, I suppose.
> 
> Next chapter, we have Team 7 starring in: "Violence isn't an answer. It's a question, and the answer is yes."
> 
> That's it, I suppose. I hope you approve of this chapter, and I'll see you next time.
> 
> \- C


	10. purple columbine

Sakura's body hurt. The cut on her forehead was healing nicely but it had yet to stop stinging. Her stomach, where Zabuza had kicked her, throbbed, and she was pretty sure that the skin there was painted with black and blue. Small cuts and bruises were spread all over her flesh.

Her hands hurt the most, though. The sword had been buried deep in her palms, and Sakura wasn't confident in her ability to heal them without scarring. Rin certainly could, but Sakura wasn't Rin.

Sakura wasn't Kaa-san, either. Senju Tsunade, whose healing abilities were revered in every land.

Senju Tsunade, who would have been rendered frozen at the sight of blood.

As a child, Sakura had avoided getting hurt as much as possible. Not just because of the pain, but also because her mother would take a look at the crimson seeping from any small cut on her skin and wouldn't stop staring until hours later, her body trembling violently even when it wasn't cold. Sure, she couldn't always avoid wounds – she had been a clumsy kid – but Shizune-nee helped.

_“Sakura-chan, whenever this happens...” Nee-san started speaking while she cleaned the red left behind on the pink-haired girl's once scraped knee. “... you come to me, okay?” She asked, giving Sakura that warm smile at hers that made the child forget that she'd ever been in pain._

Unsurprisingly Sakura had agreed. Bruises, she took to Kaa-san. For anything that involved blood, though, she went to Nee-san. Still for the most part, she'd avoided anything that could get her hurt entirely.

It wasn't a luxury Sakura could afford now, as she stared at Zabuza – rather, his water clone, who was the most immediate threat. The original Zabuza could not move from his position, according to Kakashi-sensei.

She couldn't let her guard down, even though part of her attention focused on healing herself.

The water clone, for his part, tilted his head to the side, eyeing the genin trio with something akin to curiosity. “A lot of arrogance, but... do you stand a chance?”

Naruto, still smirking, opened his mouth to respond, but someone else spoke before he could utter a single word.

“What are you doing?!” Kakashi-sensei shouted from his prison; his wide, mismatched eyes filled with desperation. “Run away! This fight was over the moment I was caught! Our duty is to protect Tazuna-san! Did you forget that?!”

Naruto deflated almost instantly, and Sakura's eyes widened as she remembered their client. Then, she turned to the bridge builder, who had been silent for a while now. Tazuna-san was looking at his own feet, his hat partially covering his face.

“Old man?” Naruto called, no longer smiling. He sounded uncertain, and Sakura could understand why. Their duty, first and foremost, was to protect Tazuna-san until he completed the bridge. And they couldn't jeopardize that, not even for their sensei's sake.

Tazuna-san let out something that sounded too much like a chuckle. “Well...” He looked up, with a big smile on his mouth. “I planted this seed myself. I'm not going to now say that I desire to live so much that I'd stop you. I'm sorry, guys. Fight as much as you want.”

Sakura beamed at him – uncertain as she was that they could get out of this fight alive, there was no way in hell she would abandon her sensei, her comrade – while the corners of Sasuke's mouth tilted in a slight smirk, and Naruto's megawatt smile showed up again, brighter than the sun.

“You hear that?” Sasuke asked, looking at Sakura and Naruto out of the corner of his eye.

Naruto's smile was all teeth and bravado. “Are you ready, dattebayo?” He asked, looking once at his raven-haired teammate, who merely nodded, before turning to his sister.

Sakura fisted her hands and did her best not to hiss in pain when her fingers found the still bleeding wounds on her palms. “Let's do this.” She said, taking her eyes from Naruto and toward the water clone once again.

The clone let out a short-lived, deep chuckle and looked down. “You guys will never grow up.”

Naruto groaned in indignation. “What?!”

Zabuza's water clone looked up and stared at the genin trio. Something in his eyes almost caused Sakura to take a step back – it felt like he was staring deep into their souls.

“Going to keep playing ninja, eh?” He asked, letting out another sardonic chuckle. He then flexed his fingers. “When I was about your age, these hands were already dyed red with blood.”

Wait, he... he had started killing before _he was even twelve_?!

Sakura tried to swallow the lump that formed in her throat, and she tried to ignore the way Sasuke's body went rigid and the sound of Naruto's gasp. She didn't need that kind of doubt, not right now – whatever chance they had of escaping was long gone, after all.

The silence that settled in the air was nearly maddening, and Kakashi-sensei was the one to break it. “The Demon of Kirigakure.” He stated, his mismatched eyes again landing on Zabuza – on the real one.

Zabuza didn't bother to meet his gaze. “Ah. So, you've heard a little about it.” He gave no further indication that he would continue to speak, that he would explain, and so Kakashi-sensei did.

“Long ago, in Kirigakure, also known as the Bloody Mist, there was a final obstacle in becoming a ninja.” The jōnin said, not bothering to mask the loathing in his voice or eyes, and Sakura found herself frowning – what could be so bad as to make sensei feel this way?

Finally, Zabuza looked at his prisoner, seeming amused. “You already know about that graduation exam.”

“That exam?” Naruto asked before Sakura could. He sounded as confused as she felt, and a quick glance at Sasuke told the pink-haired kunoichi that not even the Rookie of the Year got what was going on. “What's this graduation exam thing, dattebayo?”

Sakura stiffened when Zabuza threw his head back and started laughing. The sound filled the air, loud and never-stopping, and it made Sakura's hands begin to tremble.

Zabuza looked... he looked downright _insane_.

Then, when it seemed like he'd never stop laughing, he went silent. Slowly, almost lazily, Zabuza turned to the genin team standing not far enough away from him, and Sakura could see his smirk even through the bandages covering so much of his face.

Finally, he spoke. “Fights to the death between the students.”

Naruto's sharp intake of breath was the only sound that followed these words, and Sakura herself felt like her breathe got caught in her throat. She looked at Naruto, but the blonde-haired boy was still staring at Zabuza with wide eyes, and then at Sasuke, who met her gaze with as much disbelief as the pink-haired kunoichi felt.

Zabuza continued to speak. “Friends who had trained and eaten at the same table are pitted against each other and go at it... until one of them loses their life.” He chuckled. “Friends who had helped each other and shared dreams.”

Sakura's fingers dug into the open cuts on her palms at each word.

She tried to imagine it – to be forced to kill Naruto or Ino or even Sasuke, for no other reason than graduating, than obtaining the hitai-ate now wrapped around her head again – and found that she couldn't. How could she ever?

Becoming a ninja was something she decided on mainly due to her desire to obtain enough power to find her family again, but it was also because Konoha was her home, and she wanted to protect her home, as well as the people she loved – Naruto, Rin-nee, Ino, Kurenai-shishou.

If she had to hurt the very same people she was supposed to protect in order to be a shinobi, then what was... _what was even the freaking point?_ What kind of sick graduation exam was that?

“Ten years ago, Kiri's graduation exam was forced to change.” Sakura's eyes snapped to Kakashi-sensei when he broke the silence, his voice just as filled with loathing as it had been before. “This change came after the previous year, when a demon appeared.”

“Change?” The word passed through Sakura's lips before she could even consider stopping it. Her chest felt heavy, her heart constricted, and she could barely force herself to breath. “What change? What did this demon do?”

Kakashi-sensei didn't look at her as he continued. “Without pause of hesitation, a young boy who was wasn't even a ninja killed over a hundred of the students.”

One boy killed a- a hundred students? _One?_

Zabuza chuckled, and Sakura turned to him with wide eyes. “That sure was... fun.” He stated, his wide smile visible even through the bandages.

_The Demon of Kirigakure_. The boy, the one who killed over a hundred students, was-

The water clone disappeared and, next thing Sakura knew, Sasuke was flying. The clone elbowed the Uchiha in the stomach, sending him hurling backward, only to punch him to the ground before there was too much distance between them.

Sasuke choked out a mouthful of blood, and Sakura found herself screaming. “_Sasuke!_”

But the Uchiha remained on the ground, and the water clone placed his foot on the genin's stomach in order to prevent him from moving. His hand then reached for the sword on his back as he stared at Sasuke as if the raven-haired boy were nothing but a mere insect.

The wind carried the sound of Zabuza's deep voice. “Die.”

“Damn it!” Naruto shouted, and Sakura's eyes snapped to him. His skin was covered in sweat and his body was trembling all over, but his hands formed a familiar seal all the same. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

He had barely finished uttering the words when a group of clones puffed to existence around him, each grabbing a kunai from the pouch around their legs.

Zabuza's clone took his foot off Sasuke before turning to Naruto. “Ah, shadow clones, and a large amount.” He commented, unimpressed, not seeming to bother with the clones or with Sasuke, as the Uchiha was now struggling to get up.

Naruto swallowed. “Here I come, dattebayo!”

And, just like that, the water clone was surrounded by shadow clones, which he threw away with a swift swing of his sword just as quickly. The clones disappeared in smoke, leaving behind only the real Naruto, who was digging something from his backpack as he was hurled backwards.

“Sasuke!” The blonde-haired boy screamed, and Sakura watched as he took something out of his backpack and threw it to their raven-haired teammate.

It took a moment too long for Sakura to recognize what it was – a demon wind shuriken.

_Wait a second._ Naruto didn't own a demon wind shuriken. Sakura would know. They bought their weapons together.

Something in her mind clicked just as Sasuke grabbed the shuriken, and Sakura felt a proud smile tilting the corners of her lips up. She glanced at the smirking blonde-haired boy for a quick second, feeling something warm spread across her chest, before she turned back to Sasuke.

“Demon Wind Shuriken: Windmill of Shadows.” The Uchiha announced, angling his body as he prepared himself to throw the weapon – or _who was posing as the weapon_.

It was a clever plan, and Sakura was _so damn proud_.

Again, neither Zabuza nor his clone looked very impressed – and that would be the missing nin's undoing. “A shuriken won't work against me.” He stated, sounding almost bored when he watched Sasuke hurl the weapon towards him.

The shuriken went flying past the water clone, whose gaze followed it.

“I see.” He said, still sounding far too calm – Sakura could barely contain her smirk. He was really falling for it. “You're aiming at the real me. But that's not enough.” He reached out as the shuriken was about to hit him and grabbed it as if it were nothing.

If only that had been the one Naruto had given Sasuke...

Sakura smirked as she watched Zabuza's eyes widen slightly at something she had noticed a while ago. “Another one in the shuriken's shadow?” Now, he seemed almost impressed. He wouldn't be underestimating any of them again any time soon, that was for sure. “But... still not enough.”

He jumped, and the shuriken went flying past where his feet had been not a second before. Sakura smirked, and a quick glance at Sasuke showed her that he was smirking too. Naruto – or, at least, the one near them, smirked as well, right before he disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Then, the shuriken that went flying past Zabuza also vanished in a cloud of smoke, and in its place was Naruto, holding a kunai. The blonde-haired boy smirked and spun his body in order to throw the blade at Zabuza.

“Damn brat!” The nukenin cursed, moving his hand out of the way – away from his water prison jutsu – just in time to dodge the kunai.

The corners of Sakura's lips tilted up in pride, but her smile was short-lived as she watched Zabuza turn to Naruto and prepare to throw the real demon wind shuriken he had been holding. The four blades spun dangerously, and Zabuza's arm moved to throw it, only to stop halfway.

Kakashi-sensei stood on the lake, in between Zabuza and Naruto, and the back of his hand stopped the shuriken's movement, blood dripping from it.

“Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura breathed out in relief.

The jōnin didn't look at her, his mismatched eyes never abandoning Zabuza. “Naruto, great plan.” He stated matter-of-factly. “You guys have grown up.”

Naruto, still on the water, beamed at him. “The aim of the shadow clone wasn't to defeat Zabuza, but to hide the fact that I had transformed into the demon wind shuriken.” He explained, sounding very much proud of himself, as he should be. His plan was actually _genius_. “Sure, I didn't think I could beat him, dattebayo, but I thought if only we could break that water prison...”

_Then, Kakashi-sensei could finish the job._

Really, Sakura was so damn proud of her brother right now.

Zabuza tried to sound unimpressed, but, even from a distance, the strain in his voice was hard not to notice. “I got distracted and released the jutsu.”

“Wrong.” Kakashi-sensei was fast to retort. “You didn't release it. You were forced to release it.” He corrected, his voice like steel. “I'll tell you that I don't fall for the same jutsu twice. What will you do?”

Zabuza turned to him, and Sakura could barely keep up with what happened next. The speed with which they formed hand seals was simply insane, and Sakura could not help but wonder what the hell was the jutsu they intended to use. Her gaze didn't linger, though – she still had other worries.

Kakashi-sensei had the real Zabuza handled, clearly, and so Sakura's eyes shot to the water clone still standing not to far away, unmoving. He could turn out to be a problem if the nukenin decided to complete his mission no matter what, even if the cost was dying by Kakashi-sensei's hand.

The water clone had to go, and soon.

Sakura looked at Sasuke, who was now standing beside her as both of them placed themselves in between Tazuna-san and the ongoing fight, out of the corner of her eye. “We should get rid of the water clone.” She stated, catching the raven-haired boy's attention.

His onyx eyes moved from the fight happening on the water, and his gaze followed Sakura's. “Do you have a plan?” He asked, showing no hesitation whatsoever.

Sakura chewed on her lower lip as she forced her brain to recall everything she'd ever read about the water clone jutsu: C-Rank ninjutsu; the clone couldn't travel very far from the user's location; only had a tenth of the user's strength; not very independent.

_Not very independent_. Seeing as Zabuza was busy with Kakashi-sensei, the water clone would be left without orders to follow. Getting rid of it should be a matter of hitting it with a powerful jutsu, although they shouldn't assume it would be easy either.

Sakura took a quick glance at Sasuke. “Your Grand Fireball could work.” She suggested.

He merely nodded, his eyes never straying from the water clone. “I'll need a distraction.” Finally, he turned to her, and Sakura saw the slightest bit of hesitation settle on his face when she smirked. However, he didn't try to dissuade her from the idea and, instead, simply raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

She flexed her fingers, feeling that nasty stinging on her hands. “Yeah. What's the signal?”

Sasuke's responding smirk was downright arrogant. “You'll know.”

The raven-haired boy didn't wait for her to say anything before sprinting towards the water clone, who turned to him with wide eyes. The fake Zabuza moved to defend himself but, just like Sakura had predicted, he wasn't nearly as effective now that the real one wasn't in charge. His movements were slow, barely enough to dodge and block Sasuke's kunai.

Then, he raised his giant blade, and Sakura found herself moving before she could even think too much about it. She jumped toward him, nails digging into her wounded palm as she gathered her chakra in her hand.

“_Shannaro!_” Her fist collided with the sword, and her joints throbbed in protest.

Sakura gritted her teeth and forced her fist down, only to see the slightest crack in the sword. Her mother would have destroyed the original blade with nothing more than a flick of her fingers, and yet Sakura couldn't even handle the fake one.

She still wasn't enough. Would she ever be?

“_Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!_” Oh. So, _that_ was Sasuke's signal.

Sakura spun her body and placed her feet on the blade, using the surface for support to jump away. She landed next to Sasuke just in time to watch the fireball reach the water clone and explode.

The pink-haired girl massaged her knuckles to sooth the dull ache, while Sasuke simply breathed out a non-committal humph that carried too much pride for such a simple sound. She really could not fault him, Sakura supposed. They had, after all, succeeded, even if she was disappointed with her own skills.

Sakura opened her mouth to congratulate her teammate, but all of a sudden she was soaked to the bone as a giant wave washed over her. Her eyes darted to where Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza were.

The jōnin was perched on a tree branch just above the nukenin, whose trembling body looked like it was about to fall to the grass. There were four kunai buried deep in his flesh, in each of his legs and arms, blood oozing from the wounds.

“How?” Zabuza managed to choke out. “Can you see the future?”

“Yeah.” Kakashi-sensei stated, reaching for another kunai. He gazed at Zabuza, and his sharingan blazed. “You're going to die.”

Then, all of a sudden, it was like time had stopped. Zabuza's body went rigid, and the two senbon sticking from his neck gleamed under the sunlight. Sakura watched, her eyes bulged, as the rogue ninja finally dropped to the ground.

He wasn't moving anymore.

A new voice filled the silence that settled in the air. “You're right. He's dead.” Sakura's eyes shot to the source of the sound, to someone not much taller than she was, wearing a mask with crimson marks. “Thank you very much. I have been searching for the opportunity to kill Zabuza for a long time.”

What- what the hell?

Sakura stared, gaping, and barely noticed Kakashi-sensei move from the tree branch and to where Zabuza was now lying on the ground. He kneeled beside the nukenin and checked for a pulse for a short moment. He said nothing.

Did that mean Zabuza was really dead? Did the newcomer succeeded in killing him that easily?

Kakashi-sensei turned to the masked ninja. “That mask. You're a Kiri hunter-nin.” He stated, with a deep frown.

The newcomer bowed. “Impressive. You are correct.”

Hunter-nin? Was that like Konoha's ANBU?

“Hunter-nin?” Sakura repeated, confused. She stared at Kakashi-sensei, hoping for an answer, but the newcomer was the one who ended up giving her one.

“Yes.” The masked ninja nodded. “My duty is to hunt down rogue ninjas. I am a member of Kiri's hunter-nin team.” He explained, not unkindly.

Not quite like ANBU, then, but similar enough. But... Sakura stared at the newcomer. He was not very tall, and his voice... He couldn't be that much older than her, Naruto, and Sasuke. And yet...

“What the hell?!” The sound of Naruto's screaming broke Sakura out of her thoughts. He had left the water, his wet clothes clinging to his body, and pointed an accusing finger at the hunter ninja. “Who are you?!”

Kakashi-sensei got up, abandoning Zabuza's body. “Don't worry, Naruto. He's not an enemy.”

“I'm not asking that!” Naruto retorted, his entire body trembling, either from the cold or the rage. “That Zabuza... that Zabuza was killed, dattebayo! A guy that strong... a guy that strong was killed by a kid! By a kid not much different from me, dattebayo! We look stupid! How can I understand that?!”

Their jōnin-sensei walked toward him and placed a hand over his head, ruffling his hair. “Well, I know how you feel. But this is also the truth. In this world, there are kids younger than you... yet stronger than me.”

Sakura averted her gaze – she could name a few. Her mother, for instance. When she was Sakura's age, Senju Tsunade was already a jōnin, and her skills in medical ninjutsu were just beginning to gather fame around the world. How could she ever hope to compare to that?

“Your battle is now over.” The hunter-nin spoke, breaking Sakura out of her thoughts. “And now I must dispose of this body, since it seems to be a body with many secrets.” He moved toward the fallen nukenin and gathered his body in his arms. His free hand formed a seal. “Farewell.”

Then, as suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone.

“He's gone, dattebayo!” Naruto shouted in surprise, looking around, searching for the hunter-nin, only to find nothing.

Kakashi-sensei sighed and took his hand to his face, covering his eye with his forehead protector once again. “Now, we have to get Tazuna-san home.” He stated. “Let's go.”

The bridge builder – whose presence Sakura had kind of forgotten, _again_ – was quick to respond. “Super thanks, guys!” He said, cheerful. “Come over to my house and relax for a while!”

Relax, huh? That was something Sakura could appreciate.

But, before she could take even one step toward Tazuna, a loud thud reached her ears. The genin turned to see Kakashi-sensei on the ground.

“_Sensei!_”

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Rin let out a long, exhausted sigh at the sound of someone knocking on her door. Still, she didn't move from her position on the couch – she was more than content with being alone in the darkened living room while letting herself sink in her many worries about Team 7, thank you very much.

Knock, knock, knock. The sound echoed through the room, but the medic didn't acknowledge it.

“**It could be Kurenai.**” Isobu chimed in, and the Nohara winced in response.

_That's what I'm afraid of._

Kurenai knew her too well. They had been best friends for many years now, meaning the genjutsu specialist knew that Rin was worried about Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke and therefore the medic would either work herself to the bone or hide in her apartment for the duration of Team 7's mission. And, of course, Kurenai had no intention of letting that happen.

_“I talked to Anko, Tsume and Yūgao. We're going out for drinks.” The raven-haired woman said, and there was nothing about her words or her tone that gave Rin the impression that she had any other options. The medic opened her mouth to retort, but Kurenai cut her off. “Yes, you're going. I'm not letting you drive yourself crazy with worry all day. I'll come and get you later.”_

Rin really didn't think it was a good idea, especially considering that the last time all of them went out together – on Rin's birthday, a few months ago – the night ended in the ruins of what had once been a restaurant thanks to Anko's big mouth and Yūgao's sword. She still had bills to pay for that stunt.

But there was little she could do to dissuade Kurenai of her plan, and so the medic had sighed and agreed.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Rin-nee, are you there?” That was Ino's voice.

This time, the medic didn't hesitate to get up from the sofa and head for the door, which she soon opened. On the other side of it, a child with blonde haired and blue eyes with no pupils waited for her.

Rin tried to smile through the worry that made her heart clench. “Hi, Ino-chan.” She greeted, and the girl nodded in response, biting her lip. She seemed nervous. “How are you?”

Ino looked away, and a frown slowly settled on Rin's brow as she waited for the genin to respond. Finally, she did. “I'm fine.” She wasn't, _clearly_. There was something bothering her.

Still, Rin didn't ask. If Ino wanted her to know, then she would tell her. For now, it would be best if she could, at least, find out why the Yamanaka heiress was here when neither Sakura nor Naruto were even in the village. Perhaps Ino didn't know about Team 7's mission?

“Sakura and Naruto aren't here.” Rin commented, keeping her eyes trained on the girl's face.

Ino chewed on her lower lip for a short moment. “No, I know. I-” She took a deep breath. “Asuma-sensei gave us the day off. I asked around the hospital, and you're not working today, so I thought I'd ask...” She trailed off, still refusing to meet Rin's gaze.

“**She just wants to ask you something. Is that why she's nervous?**” Isobu wondered aloud, and Rin found herself agreeing. Ino wasn't one to ask for help as much as she was the one helping.

Sakura thought she didn't know, but Rin was very aware of the bullying the pink-haired genin had suffered during her first days in the Academy. Rin had tried to talk to her about it, but Sakura had taken any and every chance to avoid such conversation. And, when Ino befriended her and scared the bullies away, the medic thought it best to let sleeping dogs lie.

“**What do you think she wants to ask?**” Isobu inquired, and Rin could feel the childlike curiosity radiating off him.

_There's only one way to find out._

She raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

The encouragement seemed to work well enough, and Ino finally looked at her. There was a very familiar determination in her eyes – the kind Rin had seen in Sakura and in Naruto and in herself. “I want you to teach me about poisons.”

Rin's eyebrows shot to her hairline. “Me?” She asked, and Ino nodded in response. It made sense, although it kind of took the medic off-guard.

The Yamanaka owned the biggest flower shop in Konoha, and such position gave them access to the best herbs the Land of Fire had to offer. Their poisons were as important to the clan's fame as their mind techniques, and Rin found herself wondering why Ino would ask her instead of one of her clansmen.

She didn't ask, though – it wasn't her place.

There was something else she wanted to know, though. “Is there a reason why you are asking me this now?” She stared at Ino, feeling her curiosity mixing with Isobu's.

The blonde-haired girl looked away again. “It's just... Sakura's grown up a lot. She's getting really strong. I guess I just don't want to fall behind.”

Again, it made perfect sense. Sakura had been Kurenai's prized apprentice for four years now and that made her far stronger than the average genin. Ino wasn't weak by any means – she had much more clan training than Rin could've been bothered with at her age – but the medic could see why Team 7 – _Sakura_ – leaving the village for a C-Rank mission made her feel left behind.

Sakura and Ino were best friends, but they were also rivals. Ino made Sakura want to improve and the same was true for the Yamanaka heiress.

“**That's actually kind of sweet.**” Isobu cooed, making Rin bite her lip to resist the urge of doing it too.

_Please, stop doing that._

He didn't, of course, but Rin forced herself to concentrate on Ino instead, as the girl continued her explanation. “Since she'll be out of the village for a few days, I thought I'd pick up something new to show her when she's back.”

_Why do kids these days have to grow up so fast?_

“**Again, you were younger than her when-**”

_I thought we'd established that I'm not a good parameter._

Isobu offered her no verbal response, but his sigh resonated through Rin's soul.

The medic turned to Ino again and forced herself to smile. “Sure. Poison isn't exactly my specialty, so I'm not the best person to ask, but I can give you a few tips.” She could name, at the very least, three Konoha shinobi who were better at poisons than she was. And that didn't account for people from other villages.

To this day, she was thankful that they had Tsunade-sama to go against Sunagakure's Chiyo-sama during the Second Shinobi War.

Ino drew her eyebrows together and tilted her head to the side, confusion written all over her face. “But, Nee-san, you're the best.” These kids really thought too highly of her, although she couldn't understand why.

“**Well, because-**”

_It really wasn't a question._

“Anko is probably better than I am.” Rin shrugged, watching as all the color was quickly drained from Ino's face, because of course Inoichi-san's kid would know Mitarashi Anko.

“**You are not sending an innocent kid to _Anko_.**” Years ago, Isobu's outburst would've made Rin jump. Now, though, she simply pressed her lips together to avoid laughing at his horrified tone.

_Of course I'm not. What do you take me for?_

She trusted Anko with her life, despite some people forever holding Anko's former apprenticeship under Orochimaru over her head. Rin, however, did _not_ trust Anko around children any more than she did Ibiki. They were in T&I for a reason.

“But there's someone far better than us both.” Rin added, and Ino brightened up almost instantly. The medic wondered just what the hell Anko had done to the poor girl.

Then, Ino frowned. “Tsunade-sama doesn't count.”

Rin chuckled. “I'm not talking about her. I mean, she _is_ better than us, but there's someone else.”

Ino's pale eyebrows shot to her hairline. “Who?”

Rin smiled, allowing her memories to wash over her.

Katō Shizune had been a polite, soft-spoken girl who had a knack for healing and a true talent for poisoning. She had been in Rin's class in the Academy and also graduated early. However, instead of being put in a three-men cell, Shizune had been placed directly under Senju Tsunade's care.

To this day, Shizune was still the only student the Slug Sannin had ever taken.

Many would say that it was due to her relation to Tsunade-sama's late fiancée, Katō Dan – he had been Shizune's uncle. Rin knew better, though. She remembered a young girl, with dark hair and darker eyes, who wielded the Mystical Palm just as easily as she breathed out a poisonous cloud. Shizune had been a brilliant medic – far better than Rin – as well as a deadly poison mistress.

Rin wondered how much more Shizune had learned from the Sannin, how much stronger she had become. Back when they were both beginning to study medical ninjutsu, the raven-haired girl had been someone Rin always strived to catch up to, although she didn't think Shizune even knew her.

“Her name is Shizune.” The Nohara stated. She hurried to speak again when Ino opened her mouth to argue. “And yes, she's better than me. It took me three months to come up with an antidote for one of the first poisons she ever developed.”

Ino's mouth hanged open. “Really?”

“Yes. She's the only student Tsunade-sama ever took.” If Ino was doubtful before, then that should be enough to end any argument she could come up with. Despite what the children she surrounded herself with apparently thought, Rin wasn't the best. Far from it.

It did cross her mind, once or twice – _many times_ – that, had Shizune been a part of Team Minato instead of her, Obito would most probably have lived. Shizune wouldn't have been captured, and, even if she was, she would've been able to come up with something to save her teammate.

But Rin knew better than to push her burdens onto other people, and she didn't allow the thoughts to linger.

Ino's eyes were full of wonder, and Rin was grateful that it wasn't directed at her now. “She must be really cool.” The Yamanaka said, and the Nohara smiled in response.

“She was. But she left with Tsunade-sama a long time ago, so I suppose I'll have to do, if you still want it.” Maybe Ino wouldn't be interested now that she knew Rin actually wasn't her best option, although the medic doubted the genin would ever ask Anko.

Ino, however, simply dismissed her words. “You're still the coolest.”

“**I love this kid.**”

_Of course you do._

Rin smiled, albeit a bit self-consciously. “I have a few hours before Kurenai comes to kidnap me, so let's get going. Has anyone ever told you about the Poison Mist Jutsu?” Ino shook her head and stared at her with bright eyes.

The duo left the apartment and Rin explained the mechanics of the technique as they walked. She didn't expect Ino to master a B-Rank jutsu in time for Sakura to get back, but it should be enough to keep the girl busy for a while – to stop her from looking at Rin _like that_.

The same way Sakura and Naruto did, as if Rin were some kind of hero, someone to look up to.

She wondered how long it would take for her to disappoint these kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, this is your second favorite author. I'm glad to be here again. First things first, I don't know if I'll be able to update again before the year ends, so, in case I can't, happy holidays!
> 
> So, I actually considered murdering L far more often than usual because she left me with more than seventy comments to respond, but, if she died and I went to jail for killing her, no one would write this story anymore, so she's safe. I don't intend to let the comments pile up, but, if I ever do, I beg someone to smack me. I wrote the chapter and then replied to everyone and now my hands hurt. L owes me a lot for this.
> 
> Let me know what you thought about this chapter and what you want to happen next. Unless I end up writing more than I should, the Land of Waves Arc should be over in four or five chapters. I'm eager to get to what comes after that. It makes for one of my favorite parts of this story, according to what L planned.
> 
> According to Google, purple columbine means resolution. Again, I know nothing about flowers, so if it's wrong, please feel free to correct me.
> 
> Ino going to Rin for help will be something important later on, as is Rin kind of admiring Shizune. Sakura isn't the only one we're giving a power boost in this story, so some build up is in order so it doesn't feel like it came out of nowhere. Also, I needed an excuse to show Isobu being the leader of the Nohara Rin Protection Squad. L and I seeing a character we consider underused: "It's free real state."
> 
> That's all, I suppose. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading. Stay safe. I'll see you next time.
> 
> \- C


	11. rosemary

Naruto couldn't help but notice that Sakura-chan had been acting weird ever since the fight against Zabuza. She was quiet, withdrawn, and had said few words even after Tsunami-san, the old man's daughter, let them into her house.

Now, after she left Kakashi-sensei on a futon, she was sitting on the floor on the other side of the room, not making a sound. Her fingers absently played with one of her needles, which she stared at with a frown and pursed lips.

He was about to ask what was wrong, but another voice broke the silence before he had the chance. “Are you alright, sensei?” Tsunami-san asked, taking a step toward the jōnin, whose eye had just opened.

Naruto brightened instantly – Kakashi-sensei was awake, dattebayo! – and approached the white-haired man, his face splitting into his trademark smile.

Kakashi-sensei, however, did not offer a response, and Sakura-chan did so instead. “He'll be okay. He just needs to rest for a week or so.” She stated, dragging her gaze from the senbon to Tsunami-san. Then, her emerald eyes settled on the white-haired jōnin. “Sensei, the sharingan is incredible, but, if it puts that much stress on your body, you should think before using it.”

Naruto stared at her in wonder – she truly never ceased to surprise him. Sakura-chan had been the one who calmed him down, explaining to him that Kakashi-sensei was only suffering from chakra exhaustion and not, you know, _dying_. She then hauled the jōnin all the way to the old man's house and, when asked, explained to Tsunami-san how to take care of him.

She was so cool, dattebayo!

“Well, we defeated that strong ninja.” The old man chimed in, not seeming very interested in that conversation as he took another sip of whatever he was drinking. “We should be safe for a while.”

Sakura-chan nodded absentmindedly, but the frown had yet to leave her face. Naruto watched her chew on her lower lip for a short moment before she spoke again. “By the way, who exactly was that masked kid?”

Naruto's smile vanished entirely, and he frowned and crossed his arms. That masked guy... he had killed Zabuza with no effort, at all! He simply threw those senbon around and killed a super strong ninja, and he didn't seem to be much older than Naruto was.

The blonde-haired genin still refused to accept that, even if a part of him knew he had to, at some point.

“That was the mask worn by Kiri's special hunter-nin team.” Kakashi-sensei explained, his voice dragging the words out slowly. He looked really tired. “They're also known as body erasers. Their duty is to completely dispose of a ninja's body without a trace, since it has within it secrets of the village's ninjutsu, as well as information on different chakra types, herbs and other things.”

Naruto frowned – how come a person could find all that in a dead body? He opened his mouth to ask, but, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura-chan and the bastard just nodding. That drove him to immediately shut his mouth and eagerly nod too – he could ask Sakura-chan later.

“For example, if I died, the secrets of the sharingan would be revealed.” Kakashi-sensei went on, and Naruto hung onto every word. “By killing and disposing of the shinobi who have abandoned the village, the hunter-nins prevent the information from getting out. They are the specialists who guard their village's secrets.” He let out a sigh. “No sound, no smell. That's a ninja's end.”

A shiver went down Naruto's spine.

“So, that Zabuza was chopped up and disposed of, dattebayo?” He asked, his voice sounding just a bit strained. He didn't want to think about it, to think that a ninja as strong as Zabuza had turned out like that. A part of him wondered if he would too, someday, but he quickly banished that line of thought.

Naruto had no intention of dying until he became Hokage, and he wouldn't think about it now.

He turned to Sakura-chan, but she didn't meet his gaze. She was still staring at the needle with her eyebrows drawn together.

Then, she licked her lips and broke the silence. “Kakashi-sensei, I was thinking...” She trailed off.

“Huh? What is it, Sakura-chan?” The jōnin asked.

Sakura turned the needle between her fingers. “Senbon is unlikely to kill an opponent. It's actually something medics use in acupuncture therapy.” She said, her emerald eyes following the needle's every move. “If you hit a vital organ, sure, you can kill someone, and using it to poison an enemy is a common and effective tactic. But, if you hit the right points, it's also simple to put a person in a momentary state of death.”

Sasuke stiffened, but Naruto found himself frowning. Momentary state of death? As in being dead just for a few minutes and then coming back to life or something like that?

Then, it hit him, and his eyes widened.

“Wait, does that mean Zabuza's alive, dattebayo?!” He shouted, his eyes snapping to Sakura-chan. She didn't look at him, still staring at the needle that she now gripped tightly, and so Naruto turned to their squad leader. “But, sensei, you checked! You said he was dead, dattebayo!”

Kakashi-sensei paid him no mind. “Hunter-nins usually dispose of the ninja's body right after the assassination.” He commented, staring at the ceiling. His visible eye gave nothing away.

“But we have no way of knowing what was done to Zabuza's body, because that masked guy took him away.” Sasuke chimed in, his eyebrows drawn together, his mouth pursed.

“Yes.” Kakashi-sensei nodded. “If he needed proof of his work, he could have just taken the head. And the weapon he used to kill Zabuza... it's like Sakura said. Hunter-nins know about the body's structure thoroughly. Putting someone in a momentary state of death is probably simple for them.” His eye narrowed. “First, he carried Zabuza's body away. Second, he used a weapon that has low probability of killing. These two points indicate that his motive was...” He trailed off.

The jōnin turned to Sakura-chan, whose attention was on putting her senbon back in the launcher wrapped around her arm. Still, she replied. “... not to kill Zabuza, but to save him.”

Kakashi-sensei hummed. “We can't ignore that possibility.”

“Aren't you thinking too much?” The old man chimed in, trying to sound uninterested. However, even Naruto noticed the strain in his voice. “Hunter-nins are supposed to kill missing-nins.”

“No.” Kakashi-sensei was fast to retort. “With all the suspicion, we should prepare before it's too late. That's a shinobi rule. Plus, whether Zabuza is dead or alive, there are no assurances that Gatō hasn't hired an even stronger shinobi.”

Naruto's face split in a grin, excitement burning in his chest. He'd have another go against Zabuza and, this time, he'd really show that eyebrow-less freak what he was made of, dattebayo!

“Sensei, you can barely move.” Sakura-chan declared, staring at Kakashi-sensei with disapproval written all over her face. She pursed her lips. The pink-haired girl didn't look nearly as excited as Naruto felt. “You can't train us right now.”

“I have to.” The jōnin retorted, dragging his gaze from the ceiling to his only female student.

Sakura-chan scoffed, and Naruto found himself frowning again, his grin gone – she was still in a bad mood. He had thought that it was because of the hunter-nin and the senbon, her suspicions of Zabuza being alive, but, even after she voiced them, she had yet to relax.

What was wrong with her?

Before he could ask, Sakura herself spoke. “What's a little training even going to do?” She asked, averting her gaze to her hands, which were now free of blood and dirt. Her gloves were still gone, though, and their absence suddenly hit Naruto. “Our enemy is a ninja you struggled against even with the sharingan.”

Naruto had never known Sakura to be doubtful of her abilities, and he didn't understand why she was feeling like this now. She could punch a huge crater on the ground, and she could heal herself and their team, and she knew how to cast tons of cool illusions, and she was really good with her needles. She was so, so strong.

So, why was she doubting herself now?

“Sakura-chan-” He tried to speak, but Kakashi-sensei interrupted him. What was with people and not letting him speak today, dattebayo?!

“Sakura, who saved me while I was struggling?” The jōnin asked, but he received no answer from his pink-haired student. Even then, Sakura stared at him, and Kakashi-sensei's smile could be seen even through his mask. “You guys are growing rapidly. The three of you improved far more than I expected. But, obviously, this is just training until I get better. You guys won't be able to defeat him without me.”

She still said nothing, and it was Sasuke, with his brow furrowed, who spoke. “If Zabuza is alive, he could attack us at any time.” His body was stiff, and Naruto could see his hand hovering above his shuriken pouch.

“Not really.” Sakura-chan retorted, now moving to take something from her backpack. “A person put in a momentary death situation should take a while to recover.” There were no signs of doubt in her voice – she clearly knew what she was talking about.

“So, we train until then, dattebayo!” Naruto chimed in, glad not to be interrupted this time. Sasuke nodded in response, as did Kakashi-sensei. Sakura-chan, on the other hand, simply grabbed a little grey notebook from her backpack and got up. Naruto beamed at her. “Are you going to start now, Sakura-chan? Sounds like a ton of fun!”

He moved to follow her when she started walking toward the door, but another voice caused him to stop.

“That's not fun.” A small boy, with dark hair and dark eyes, retorted, staring at Naruto with poorly concealed disdain.

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at him. “Who the hell are you?!

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Sakura left the house, leaving behind the sound of Naruto's screaming and Tazuna-san announcing the newcomer as his grandson, Inari. She was actually grateful for the child's arrival – as much as she loved Naruto, she preferred to be alone right now.

The sun was beginning to set, the light going away with it, but it was not too dark yet. So, Sakura sat near the house, with her back against the wall, and opened the notebook she had brought with her. The cover was worn now, and, in its pages, her own hasty handwriting greeted her.

There were transcripts from a few books and scrolls she had found in the library back in Konoha, as well as her own notes, many of which had been crossed out and replaced by small, improvised words written in the limited space next to her original writings. Most of the pages were filled now, either with long texts or with diagrams and drawings. That notebook had all the research she had made on the fighting style she currently used.

_Adamantine Fist_. The taijutsu style Kaa-san had developed early in her childhood and named after Uzumaki Mito's signature jutsu, the Adamantine Sealing Chains.

The available information on it was very limited. The library in Konoha could only help so much, and there was not a single person in the village who could use that particular taijutsu style. Sakura had learned it by trial and error, and her bones had been broken enough times to prove it.

The pink-haired girl turned page after page, looking for her most recent notes, useless as they had proven to be. Then, she reread the words she had written not that long ago, crossing out whatever theories she no longer agreed with.

Was there even anything of use in that notebook? Because, clearly, she was doing something very wrong. She had seen that taijutsu style at its prime, and she knew what to aim for. Still, she failed every time she tried to mirror the monstrous strength her mother wielded so easily. Sure, she could cause some damage, but not nearly as much as she should've been able to.

The fight against Zabuza only proved it – she was still weak, worthless. She couldn't even destroy a water clone with her fist, being forced to rely on Sasuke's Grand Fireball instead. Kaa-san would probably be disappointed in her, but Sakura didn't know what she was doing wrong.

Was it the chakra amount, or the timing of the chakra release or the chakra type or something else entirely?

She chewed on her lower lip, feeling her eyes starting to sting. She closed them in a perhaps poor attempt to keep the tears at bay – she couldn't waste time crying now. She had work to do.

So, Sakura blinked and breathed until she succeeded in willing the tears away. Her gaze then went back to the old, yellowed pages of her notebook, and she started going through every single thing she'd ever written – there had to be a solution to her problem somewhere, something she'd missed.

Hours later, when Tsunami went outside to look for the pink-haired ninja, she found Sakura asleep beside to the house, clutching a grey notebook to her chest. The woman said nothing and, instead, took the child in her arms and carried her inside.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

The first rays of sun finally found their way through the treetops, and Sakura's skin glistened with sweat. Panting, she tore her fist out of the destroyed ground and rose it. With gritted teeth, Sakura then landed another punch on the fractured earth beneath her feet.

The ground shook once more, and the preexistent cracks widened. Blood dripped from the places where sharp pieces of stone broke the skin, and her knuckles, raw and caked in dirt, throbbed.

Perhaps she should try using more chakra. Her fist rose one more time, just to dive into the ground again. Another mini tremor shook the earth, but it still wasn't what she was looking for. Compared to what Kaa-san could do, this was nothing.

Compared to Senju Tsunade, _Sakura_ was nothing. And she refused to be nothing.

She readjusted the chakra amount and punched the earth again, choking out a sob when something in her hand _snapped_. She pulled her fist from the hole on the ground and stared at her ring finger. Cursing under her breath, the pink-haired girl coated her other hand in jade chakra and moved to heal the fractured bone – not the first one, and certainly not the last she would have today.

“That doesn't look like a good training regimen.” Sakura's heart missed a beat at the sudden voice, and she turned to see Kakashi-sensei standing a few feet away from her, with his crutches.

She frowned. “You should be resting, sensei.”

He shrugged and started walking toward her, entering the crater. “You should too. Yesterday was stressful. No genin should've ever been a part of a mission like this.” He said, stopping right beside her.

Sakura scoffed. She didn't have time to rest, not when Zabuza was still alive and kicking and she was too weak to even pose a threat to him. She had to grow stronger and, for that, she had to train.

The genin did not offer him a verbal response and, instead, concentrated on fixing the damage on her hand. She flexed her fingers, only to hiss when pain jolted through her ring finger – not quite right yet, then. She began using the Mystical Palm on it again.

“Where are your gloves?” Kakashi-sensei asked, unbothered by her lack of a response. He stared at her hands and, even with most of his face covered by his mask and hitai-ate, his frown was very much obvious.

Sakura could see why, although she refused to acknowledge it. Her hands were marred with small cuts and her knuckles were a mess of blood and dirt. The once fair skin was a mosaic of black and blue, and a few of her nails were missing. She didn't really care about it and, even if she did, there was little she could do to protect herself from the damage.

Her gloves were now torn and caked in blood and dirt, and she had put them in her backpack. She had no intention of getting rid of them, useless as they were now. Rin-nee had gifted her that pair just a few weeks ago, on her birthday, and Sakura intended to keep it.

“Destroyed.” She replied, keeping her gaze on the fractured finger she was still trying to heal. “I'll have to get new ones when we get back to Konoha.”

Kakashi-sensei hummed in response. “Maybe you shouldn't practice taijutsu until you do.”

Sakura's eyes snapped to him. “I have to.” She retorted, frowning. “I can't be this weak forever.”

Kakashi-sensei's visible eye widened just the slightest bit and he looked around for a curt moment. “This doesn't look weak to me.” He stated, gesturing to the crater they were in, which took up the entirety of that small clearing.

He probably just wanted to cheer her up, or perhaps he actually thought that way. But he had little to compare Sakura's taijutsu to, since he himself couldn't use it. But Sakura had watched her mom demolish an entire building with a flick of her fingers and punch a crater the size of a town on the ground just to show off to her, and she knew that this _wasn't enough_.

Sakura felt someone ruffling her hair and looked up to see Kakashi-sensei staring at her. His smile was visible even through the mask, making his eye narrow a bit. “C'mon.” He said, and the pink-haired girl opened her mouth to protest, only to be cut off. “I have a training exercise for you and the boys. They're already waiting for us.”

_Training_. That, she could do, even if it wasn't the specific training she was aiming for.

Her shoulders slumped, but she followed Kakashi-sensei through the forest, to some other clearing where, sure enough, Naruto and Sasuke were waiting for them.

The blonde-haired boy pointed an accusing finger at the jōnin. “You're late!”

Kakashi-sensei scratched the back of his head. “You see, this black cat passed by us and-”

“He's lying.” Sakura interrupted him, crossing her arms. Her hands hurt, her finger still throbbed, and she was far from being as strong as she had to be. Needless to say, she was in a terrible mood.

The white-haired man had the nerve to fake hurt when he turned to her. He put a hand to his heart. “You wound me, Sakura-chan.” He stated, and she glared at him in response.

“What kind of training are we doing?” Trust Sasuke to be straightforward to the point of seeming rude, at least when it came to training matters. Sakura found herself appreciating it.

Kakashi-sensei sighed, muttering something under his breath. Then, he turned to his genin squad. “Well, the three of you have mastered tree climbing and water walking, so there's no point in new chakra control exercises. At least, for now.” He went to pull something out of his shuriken pouch. “That's why I brought you this.”

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke stared at him with matching unimpressed looks.

“A scroll?” Naruto asked, not bothering to mask his disappointment.

Kakashi-sensei chuckled and threw the scroll at the blonde-haired genin. “What matters is what's _inside_ of the scroll, idiot. Now, open it.” He ordered and, all too eager, Naruto did as he was told. The seal inside the scroll broke as soon as it was opened, revealing a pair of training weights.

Okay, so this wasn't as bad as Sakura had thought.

“What's this, dattebayo?” Naruto asked, confused. “And why is ‘guts’ written on it?”

“Training weights.” The jōnin replied. “Wearing those around your legs will greatly benefit your strength and speed. As for the writing-” He scratched the back of his head. “Well, this was a gift.”

Naruto eagerly nodded, no longer seeming disappointed, and moved to pick up one of the training weights. A frown settled in his brow when he noticed that he couldn't get it off the ground and so he tried again, his face turning purple with the effort.

The training weight didn't move an inch.

“Sensei, this is too heavy, dattebayo!” Naruto complained, glaring at the white-haired jōnin, with his mouth shaped in a pout. He gave up on trying to pick up the weight and crossed his arms.

Kakashi-sensei scratched the back of his head. “Because that one is Sakura's, Naruto.” He stated, looking utterly unimpressed as he stared at the blonde-haired boy, whose face turned red. “Out of the three of you, Sakura has the most physical strength, but she's also the slowest. She will benefit more from heavier weights, not to mention she's actually the only one who can lift them.”

He then turned to said girl and gestured to the weight that Naruto had previously struggled to lift. Sakura picked it up without saying a word – it was _really_ heavy, but nothing she couldn't handle. She took off her boots and wrapped the weight around her right ankle before she went to pick up the other one.

“You will wear these at all times.” Kakashi-sensei explained, throwing a scroll at Naruto and then at Sasuke. “Except for when you accompany Tazuna-san to the bridge. I don't want any of you to struggle in a real fight because you're not used to the additional weight yet.”

For a few minutes, he watched silently as his students tied the weights around their ankles. Finally, when the trio got to their feet again, he broke the silence.

“Now, what I want is for the three of you to run laps around the town.” Kakashi-sensei explained, ignoring the frustrated groans coming from each of his students. “As many as you can. That way, you can get used to the added weight. Go.”

Sakura glared at her sensei for another moment before she forced herself to start running. She had to admit – it _was_ weird. The additional weight threw her balance all over the place, and she almost fell at her third step before she caught herself.

Naruto wasn't so lucky, and he fell flat on his face. Sasuke snickered, although the Uchiha himself had barely managed four steps.

The blonde-haired boy got up and glared at his dark-haired teammate. “What are you laughing at, bastard?!”

“Nothing.” Sasuke shrugged. “_Loser._”

Sakura facepalmed – peace was really too much to ask for around her teammates. Still, she didn't prevent them from bickering and, instead, joined the stupid competition. The three of them threw themselves forward unsteadily.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

That training exercise continued as the days went by, and, on the fifth day since they left Konoha, Sakura was ready to throw the damned weights into the ocean. She cursed under her breath as she entered Tazuna-san's house, with Naruto and Sasuke dragging their feet behind her.

Night had come and, after being assigned guard duty for the morning and returning to her training for the afternoon, all Sakura wanted was a nice meal and a comfortable bed.

Fortunately, Tsunami-san was already serving dinner and Sakura sat down at the table with Naruto and Sasuke, who immediately started to devour their food. The pink-haired girl wrinkled her nose in disgust, but she also started to eat – her raging stomach wouldn't allow otherwise.

They ate in silence up until Tazuna-san spoke. “Wow, this is super fun. It's been a long time since we ate with so many people.” He stated, cheerful.

Sakura couldn't say she understood his mood. She had spent the entire morning with him, and she had watched as one of his workers announced that he would no longer work on the bridge for fear of what Gatō would do. Then, she had accompanied him to the market, where she had been groped _twice_ – the first had been a pervert that she happily punched, but the other had been a child looking for food, which she had given.

Growing up, Sakura had always had everything she'd ever wanted. Her mom was the sole heir of one of the most powerful clans in history and money had never been an issue despite her gambling. Not only that, but Kaa-san had liked spoiling Sakura, as did Nee-chan. Rin, for her part, was also the heiress of her own clan, not to mention her position on the hospital, and she was happy to give both Sakura and Naruto just about anything they asked.

The people in the Land of Waves, though... they had so little, almost nothing. It made her stomach churn.

“More!” Naruto and Sasuke shouted, breaking Sakura out of her thoughts. She looked at them as they glared at each other.

And then... they started _puking_.

Sakura's eye twitched, and she slammed her hand on the table. “If you are going to throw up, then stop eating!” She shouted, glaring at the two idiots she called her teammates. Had they not noticed how Tazuna-san and Tsunami-san struggled? And yet they were fine with _wasting food_?

“No, I have to eat.” Sasuke retorted, wiping his mouth.

“Yeah, we have to, no matter what.” Naruto said, because, of all things, this was what he happened to agree with Sasuke about. “Because we have to grow stronger.” He grinned.

“Yup, yup.” Kakashi-sensei nodded, turning another page of his book. “But no need to throw up.”

Naruto beamed at their sensei and moved to fill his bow again, stopping only when Sakura pointed a finger at him. “Naruto, if you don't stop, I'm going to tell Nee-san!”

The blonde-haired boy spluttered. “B-but, Sakura-chan! That's not fair, dattebayo!”

Sakura, for her part, rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her own food. Naruto whined for a few more minutes, but, thankfully, he stopped stuffing himself with food. Sasuke snickered, but he also did not start eating again.

Silence filled the air, and Sakura allowed her eyes to wander. The house was modest, smaller than the apartment Sakura shared with Rin-nee and Naruto, but it was organized, well-kept. All except for one little detail, the framed picture hanging crookedly on the wall, missing a piece. The picture was of Tazuna-san, Tsunami-san and Inari-kun, but it looked like someone had been ripped out.

She stared at it, curious, until Naruto's voice broke her out of her thoughts. “What are you looking at, Sakura-chan?” He inquired, not waiting for her to answer before he followed her gaze. “Oh, a picture! But it's torn.” He frowned and turned to her again. “Who do you think it was there?”

The pink-haired kunoichi shrugged.

“It's my husband.” Tsunami-san said, her voice giving away nothing. She was washing the dishes and, even as she talked, the woman never turned to the people sitting around the table. Something about her tone made Sakura feel uneasy.

“The hero of the town.” Tazuna-san added, right before he took another sip of his sake.

Suddenly, Inari pushed his chair back and stood up. Not saying a word, he walked out of the room.

“Inari, where are you going? Inari!” Tsunami-san called for him, almost desperate, but Inari gave her no response as he left the room. The woman then turned to Tazuna-san, fuming. “Otou-san, I told you not to talk about that man in front of Inari!” She shouted as she moved to follow her son.

When Tsunami-san left the house, Sakura turned to Tazuna-san. “What's wrong with Inari-kun?”

“There seems to be some sort of explanation.” Kakashi-sensei added, his gaze no longer glued to his precious orange book. He stared at the bridge builder with his head slightly tilted to the side.

Tazuna-san averted his gaze. “Inari had a father, not related by blood. They were very close. Inari would laugh a lot back then.” He said, but Sakura struggled to imagine. That boy looked so aloof that it was hard to believe that he had ever been as happy as he seemed in that picture. “But... the word courage has been stolen from the people of this island... and from Inari. Ever since that day, because of that incident.”

Dread settled in the pit of Sakura's stomach. Tazuna-san's face held no sign of happiness, not one single indication that the story he kept in the tip of his tongue would have a happy ending. Sakura decided not to ask, but Kakashi-sensei ended up doing it.

“That incident?” He repeated, placing his book on the table. “What happened to Inari-kun?”

Tazuna-san took off his glasses and used his free hand to wipe out the tears now sliding down his face. “... before I get to that, I first have to tell you about the man who was called the hero of this town.”

“Hero?” Naruto repeated, resting his chin on the arms he crossed over the table.

The bridge builder nodded. “It was three years ago...” He trailed off, taking a deep breath. Finally, Tazuna-san began his tale.

He told them about how Inari had been picked on by other kids, who then proceeded to throw him and his dog on the water, even though poor Inari couldn't swim. Tazuna-san told them about how a man saved the boy and taught him the meaning of courage.

“His name was Kaiza, a fisherman who came here to follow his dreams.” The bridge builder said, keeping his gaze down. “After that, Kaiza and Inari became very close. It may have been because Inari's real father died before he got to know him, but he and Kaiza were inseparable... like a real father and son. It was just a matter of time before Kaiza became part of the family, and Kaiza was also the man that the town needed.”

Then, Tazuna-san told them about how Kaiza singlehandedly saved the town from a flood. Sakura found herself leaning forward, eager to hear the rest of the story of this amazing man, but whatever enthusiasm she felt dimmed the more she stared at the bridge builder's miserable eyes.

“Kaiza was called a hero by the people of this town, and Inari couldn't be prouder of him.” Tazuna-san explained. Then, he took a deep breath, and his shoulders started trembling a little. “But then, Gatō came.”

He stared at his hands, which were now fisted and shaking on the table. His were shut tight as he seemed to fight against the tears. Sakura looked away.

“And then this incident happened?” Kakashi-sensei asked. “What exactly happened?”

Tazuna-san took a deep breath. “Gatō ordered Kaiza's execution in front of everyone.” The sound of Naruto's sharp intake of breath was the only response to those words, and Sakura's body froze. She looked at her brother, whose eyes were glued to Tazuna-san, and then at Sasuke, whose gaze met no one's. “Inari changed that day, as did Tsunami, and the whole town.”

Another chair was pushed back, and a loud thump sounded soon after. Sakura turned to see Naruto rising from the floor.

“What are you doing, Naruto?” She asked, frowning.

“If you're thinking of training, don't.” Kakashi-sensei spoke before the blonde-haired boy had the chance to give his sister an answer. He had opened his orange book again. “Overworking yourself won't do you any good.”

Unsurprisingly, Naruto didn't listen. As soon as he was back on his feet again, he was walking to the door. “I'm going to prove it.” Was all he said, not once turning to the people still at the table.

“What?” Sakura asked.

The blonde-haired boy looked at her over his shoulder, and his face split into that megawatt smile of his. “I'm going to prove that heroes still exist in this world.” He explained and, not waiting for a response from anyone, left the house.

Sakura started to get up, to follow him, but Kakashi-sensei grabbed her wrist. She turned to him.

“Leave him.” He said. “I doubt there's anything you can say to convince him to come back.”

The pink-haired girl sighed and sat down again. She knew that look she had seen in Naruto's face – the same look he had whenever he spoke of his dream of becoming Hokage. He wouldn't change his mind, even if Sakura was the one who asked, and she found that she didn't want to.

Naruto's fierce resolve was just one of the things she loved about her brother.

So, Sakura finished her dinner and excused herself. She moved to the room that Tsunami-san had lent to Team 7 and laid down on her futon. Her body still ached from all the training, and she was exhausted – but she knew she wouldn't fall asleep until Naruto returned.

Therefore, she laid there, looking at the dark ceiling, for what felt like a long time. Her hands felt itchy, and Sakura looked down at them. The finger she had fractured before still felt rigid, but the bruises and the cuts were gone – all except for two.

Sakura stared at her hand and traced her thumb over the angry red line on her palm. It had stopped bleeding, and there was no point in wasting any more chakra on it now, even if it still stung. She'd treat it as a reminder – of how weak she still was, of the long way ahead of her.

The pink-haired genin fisted her hand, nails digging into the tender skin, and she promised herself to grow stronger – no matter the price she'd pay for it. She had a dream to fulfill, a dream that still felt so far away from her, and she would succeed, one way or another.

Naruto's resolve was something she admired, and Sakura hoped that hers would be just as strong.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Rin walked into her office, doing her best to suppress her yawn. The bags under her eyes were far from subtle, and her skin looked paler than usual. Truth be told, she was exhausted – after another sleepless night, she was ready for Team 7 to come back safe and sound and quiet her worries.

Kakashi and his genin had been gone for a week now, and the dread that settled in the pit of Rin's stomach seemed to grow stronger with each passing day. The awful feeling gathering in her chest ever since she saw Team 7 off never relented, and even Isobu was beginning to grow restless.

Still, there was nothing she could do, other than wait.

Kurenai was busy training her genin team, which left Rin to her own devices. The medic took the chance to get some work done, and, as expected, an obscene amount of paperwork greeted her as soon as she entered her office. It was almost calming, in a way – familiar – and it should keep her from dwelling in her worries for a while.

However, something else greeted her too, and Rin stopped beside her desk. She bent down to pick up the framed picture that must've fallen off her desk at some point while she was away. It was a photograph of herself with a huge grin splitting her face, hugging ten-years-old Sakura and Naruto from behind – it was one of her favorite pictures.

The medic's hand began shaking, and she felt a lump form in her throat as she stared at the picture.

A crack on the glass above Sakura-chan's smiling face stared back at her.

“**Hey, Rin, calm down.**” Isobu intervened, although he didn't sound very calm himself. “**I'm sure it's nothing. Things fall, glass breaks. Don't overthink it.**” He asked, but his voice sounded too anxious for her too consider that he meant what he said.

The uneasy feeling in her chest tightened around her heart, and she turned her gaze to the window, to the huge gates rising in the distance, where she had seen Team 7 off a week ago.

Rin chewed on her lower lip, anxious. For a curt moment, she considering summoning one of her clan's owls, but the idea died down as soon as it crossed her mind – she did not think Asuka-sama would appreciate a request from her after Rin abandoned her summons for almost a decade.

“**You're being paranoid.**” Isobu said, but the strain in his voice was undeniable.

The medic hoped that he was right, that this was nothing more than her being paranoid. Still, that feeling in her chest refused to let go of its hold in her heart, and so Rin placed the framed picture back in its place on her desk and moved to start going through the paperwork. She needed to keep herself busy and distracted, lest she'd go crazy.

She hoped Team 7 would come back soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm here again. Surprise! This chapter was already half-written when I posted the last one, and your comments made me so happy that I just felt like writing the rest of it as soon as possible. Thank you so much. Your thoughts on this story mean a lot to both L and I, I assure you.
> 
> Please, let me know what you think of this chapter and what you expect to happen now. I hope you've enjoyed reading this. Also, if there's anything you want to happen, feel free to tell me, and I'll see if I can make it happen. Suggestions are always appreciated. Also, tell me if you spot any typos or something like that. L proof-read the chapter, but her first language isn't english either, so maybe she missed something.
> 
> By the way, I'm trying to come up with a new summary, since the one we currently use isn't very accurate anymore. Just letting you know in case it changes suddenly, although I still have no idea what I'm going to write. It's not exactly my strong point.
> 
> Last chapter, I said the Wave Arc would take around four more chapters, but, according to my new calculations, it should be over in two, three at maximum. I understand that we can take a bit too long to update, and we also take forever to get to the point, and I'll try to be a bit more succint. Yeah, I think that's the right word.
> 
> For the chapter title, Google tells me that rosemary means remembrance.
> 
> I think this is it. Again, thank you so much for reading this story. Stay safe!
> 
> \- C


	12. forget-me-not

It was the seventh day since the mission started, and the bridge would be finished soon. Therefore, Kakashi informed his genin that all of them would be accompanying Tazuna from now on. Sasuke wasn't happy with being forced to stop his training, but he supposed it couldn't be helped.

The sun was still rising when the dark-haired boy left the house with Kakashi, Sakura and Tazuna. The moron was still asleep, and their team leader thought it best to leave him be, seeing as he had trained until he was too exhausted to even move after an argument with Tazuna's grandson, Inari.

_What an idiot._

That aside, Sasuke found himself glad that Naruto was not coming along, meaning he could enjoy some peace and quiet for a while – he needed it after Naruto's loud snoring kept him from a good night of sleep for an entire week. He honestly didn't understand how Sakura put up with it.

_Sakura_. She was still acting weird, ever since their fight with Zabuza. Not as lively as usual, more prone to snapping – like she had done when Sasuke and Naruto had their little eating contest. Not the Uchiha's finest moment, he admitted, but the kunoichi had never expressed any dislike towards their previous competitions – she often participated.

Whatever was wrong with her wasn't his business, though, so Sasuke didn't ask.

He walked in silence, his hands buried in his pockets, until the sound of Tazuna's sharp intake of breath made him stop. Sasuke looked up, and the scene before him was all too familiar.

Corpses. Five of them, the blood still fresh around their bodies.

“What's this?!” Tazuna cried out, paralyzed. “What- what happened?!”

“A... monster...” A strained voice, little more than a fragile whisper, was carried through the wind, and Tazuna ran toward one of his workers, the only one who seemed to be awake. He helped that man lean on his body for support. “... a monster...”

Sasuke's hands fisted.

He had seen this before, although his memory was caused by another monster altogether. His pain was still fresh in his heart – like a wound that'd never heal – and he didn't wish it on anyone, least of all these men, who were all working for the good of their people.

He wondered how many people Zabuza had robbed of a parent, a sibling, a friend – and he decided he'd make Zabuza pay for each of them, as one day Sasuke would do to his own personal monster.

“Here they come!” Kakashi exclaimed, snapping Sasuke out of his thoughts.

The Uchiha looked around, seeing a familiar mist starting to settle in the air. He opened his mouth to ask, to make sure, but Sakura beat him to it. “Kakashi-sensei, this- this is Zabuza's Hidden Mist Jutsu, right?” Her tone was harsh, different from the cheerfulness she so careless gave away, and Sasuke saw her clenched jaw out of the corner of his eye.

Kakashi didn't have the time to reply, for someone else spoke before he could. “Long time no see, Kakashi... I see you're still hanging out with those brats.” Zabuza's voice came from nowhere and everywhere, ingrained in the mist itself. Then, the sound of his amused chuckle filled the air. “He is shaking again. Poor kid.”

Sasuke took a hand to his pouch to grab a kunai, and his gaze found his hand. Yes, he was shaking, as he had been during the first fight against Zabuza. But, now, it was for another reason altogether.

This was his chance – his chance to prove he was no longer a weak boy, to test his power. To get revenge for all the people Zabuza had hurt, for that was what Sasuke was – an avenger.

He smirked. “I'm shaking from excitement.”

Zabuza offered him no response, but, in the blink of an eye, he was there. No, not _Zabuza_. Water clones – four of them, surrounding Team 7 and Tazuna. The real one was nowhere around, but he would show up soon enough, once Sasuke had the chance to make quick work of his copies.

“Sakura, Sasuke.” Kakashi looked at his two genin with a trustful glint in his visible eye, smiling. “Do it.” He had barely finished speaking when Sakura's hands started moving, forming seals with practiced ease.

“String Bean Binding Jutsu!” She announced as her hands settled in a ram seal.

Sasuke knew of that technique, although he couldn't use it himself. A multi-target genjutsu, meant to affect the environment instead of a single person's mind – the type everyone who looked in that particular direction could see, instead of just the user and the victim. As such, the Uchiha watched the vines sprout from the ground and twist themselves around the clones, binding them in place.

That was his cue.

He took grabbed another kunai from his pouch and began moving. His speed had indeed increased after he started using the weights, and he tore through the water clones with quick steps and swift blows. His smirk widened as he went to stand beside Sakura, in front of Tazuna.

The water clones exploded in water, which splattered on the ground. The vines binding them were the next to vanish, disappearing into thin air as if they had never been there at all.

Sasuke's eyes zeroed in on the real Zabuza standing several feet away. “You can't fool us.”

“They saw through the water clones. Those brats have grown.” Zabuza commented, not appearing very impressed. Sasuke found himself eager to make him regret it. “One of them should prove to be a decent rival for you, eh, Haku?”

“Indeed.” The masked kid – _Haku_, so that was his name – nodded, his voice betraying no emotion. He was standing beside the missing-nin, still wearing the same attire he had when he tricked Team 7 a week ago, his posture not indicating any tension.

“It seems Sakura's thinking was right on the mark.” Kakashi said and, out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw the jōnin gently ruffle the girl's pink hair. “The masked kid... he's obviously Zabuza's comrade, standing right next to him and all.”

Sakura, for her part, joined her still gloveless hands in front of her face and cracked her knuckles. “He should stop hiding under that mask and face us.” She stated, with a deep crease in her brow.

Sasuke couldn't agree more. The sooner he was finished with that Haku boy, the sooner he would have a go at Zabuza – and Sasuke was determined to show the nukenin that he was far from being just an average genin.

He took a step forward. “I'll fight him. Tricking us with that stupid act...” Like someone else had tricked Sasuke once upon a time, by pretending to be a gentle, caring person when he was nothing but a monster. “I hate bastards like that that most.”

Bastards like his brother.

No, Sasuke wouldn't let this Haku guy get away with deceiving him. Not by a long shot.

“You're not going alone.” Sakura chimed in, taking a step forward too. He frowned at her, but the girl shrugged, not seeming to care. “Teamwork, remember?”

Of course. _Teamwork_. The very same thing Kakashi and Rin had been grilling on their team from day one. Sasuke supposed it was to be expected, and he didn't argue. He wanted to fight Haku on his own, yes, but Sakura would hardly hinder him.

Sometime since they had been put on a team together, she had gone from _foe_ – as he had classified her during their Academy days, when she was nothing more than an annoying no-name managing to rival his grades somehow – to _reliable_ – someone who could be trusted to watch his back. With her help, defeating the masked boy almost seemed too easy.

And, the sooner Haku was gone, the sooner Sasuke could get to Zabuza. He could work with that.

“An impressive young man.” Haku broke the silence and, once again, his voice betrayed nothing. He kept his gaze on Sasuke. “Even though the water clones only have a tenth of the user's power... it is very impressive.” His head turned a bit, and he now stared at Sakura. “And the girl... that was quite the genjutsu she used.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him – just what was his game? Flattering words wound grant him no mercy, not from the last of the Uchiha.

“Go.” Zabuza said, and Sasuke flexed his fingers in anticipation.

“Yes.” Was Haku's only response.

Then, Sasuke blinked, and Haku was gone. He blinked again, and the masked boy was in front of him, holding a needle that he swiftly drove toward Sasuke. The Uchiha's eyes widened in surprise, but he took a step back, and the shiny metal tore the air where his neck had been an instant ago.

Sasuke's fingers tightened around his kunai as his blade found Haku's needle with a metallic click. His arm trembled at the effort, but the Uchiha didn't budge an inch.

“Sakura, Sasuke, I'll let you handle him.” Kakashi stated, but Sasuke paid him no mind.

Instead, the raven-haired genin applied more pressure to his blade, and Haku jumped backwards, putting some distance between them. Sasuke didn't bother to hide his smirk – this would _too easy_.

“Leave it to us.” Sakura was the one who responded to their squad leader's words, and she stepped up to stand beside Sasuke, flexing her fingers. “You take point. I'll follow.” She said, this time to her genin teammate.

As much as it bothered Sasuke to admit it, Sakura was probably the smartest out of Team 7. He'd seen her scores back in the Academy, and he knew she could be trusted to make reliable plans. If she wanted him to fight Haku directly, well... who was Sasuke to argue?

Sasuke's smirk widened and he threw himself at Haku, driving his kunai to the masked boy's face, only for the blade to be blocked by yet another needle. This time, Haku didn't try to escape.

“I don't want to kill you, but you won't stand down, will you?” The masked boy asked, that same emotionless tone hanging on every word.

“Don't be foolish.” Sasuke retorted, his smirk never faltering.

“I see. But you won't be able to keep up with my speed the next time.” Haku said matter-of-factly. “Plus, I've already gained two advantages.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow – okay, he would humor his enemy. “Two advantages?”

“The first is the water on the ground... and the second is that I have occupied one of your hands.” Haku stated. “Now, you will only be able to run from my attacks.” Then, his free hand was moving – was _forming_ _seals_.

_What?! With one hand?!_

Sasuke's eyes widened, but he had no time for another reaction before Haku broke the silence one more time. “Hidden Jutsu: A Thousand Needles of Death.”

The water on the ground rose to the air, shaping itself into hundreds – _a thousand_ – of long needles which surrounded Sasuke almost instantly. The Uchiha stiffened, and he struggled to concentrate. It was all he needed, to concentrate, to gather his chakra...

His eyes fell shut, and he heard the water senbon cutting through the air, toward him.

_... to the legs!_

He jumped, far higher than he would've been able to a month ago – the ridiculous amount of time he'd spent walking up trees and then struggling not to fall into freezing water paid off. His teacher wasn't half bad, after all.

Midair, Sasuke's hand dug into his pouch, grabbing a few shuriken. He wasted no time and hurled them toward the enemy ninja, who jumped backwards to avoid each one. The Uchiha smirked as he watched, and his newfound speed took him to right behind the masked boy.

“You're pretty slow.” Sasuke sneered, pointing a kunai to Haku's back. “From now on, you'll only be able to run from _my_ attacks.”

He moved to dig the kunai into Haku's back, but the masked ninja spun around and met his blade with one of his own. Sasuke was about to throw the kunai he held in his free hand at Haku's face, to force him to duck, when a flash of pink appeared behind his enemy.

So, she had finally decided to show up.

Sasuke jumped out of the way just as Sakura's fist contacted Haku's back and, an instant later, the masked boy was flying. The Uchiha landed next to his teammate, and he stared as her hands began moving before Haku even touched the ground, forming five simple seals.

“Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death.”

The pink-haired girl beside Sasuke vanished in a tornado of bright red leaves – _petals_. And, at the same time, a tree sprouted from the ground, enormous and green, coiling around Haku, preventing him from moving. Sakura herself emerged from the stalk, just above the masked ninja's head, and there were three senbon stuck in between her fingers as she placed her fist next to Haku's throat.

She had used Sasuke as a distraction and proceeded to wait for the perfect moment to attack.

He had to admit – that was smart. And this jutsu...

Sasuke had heard of Yūhi Kurenai, of course. He had looked into her long before he was even put in a team with Sakura, seeing as Yūhi was currently the most respected genjutsu user in Konoha, and her prowess was said to rival that of an Uchiha – Sasuke doubted it, though.

Still, looking at Sakura's genjutsu, he couldn't help but wonder. If Yūhi had taught a genin a jutsu like that, then what could the jōnin herself do? And what else could she have taught Sakura?

In the end, Sasuke knew only one thing – he was eager to have a chance to fight Sakura, too.

“Looks like we have the advantage.” Sakura broke the silence. She kept her gaze on Haku, and a small smile danced at the corners of her lips – it was the liveliest Sasuke had seen her all week.

“I can't have you underestimating my team by calling them brats.” Kakashi chimed in, all too glad to stand by and watch the show. Sasuke really couldn't say he understood that man, at all. “Sasuke is Konoha's Top Rookie. Sakura is the brightest in the village, and she packs a mean punch... and the other one is the Number One Hyperactive, Knucklehead Ninja of Konoha.”

Well, that was certainly one way to put it.

The sound of slow, deep chuckle filled the air, and Sasuke stiffened as he turned to look at Zabuza, was watched still bind masked boy with poorly concealed amusement. “Haku, do you realize? At this rate, we'll be driven back.”

“Yes. We can't have that.” Haku retorted, all too nonchalant.

Then, Sasuke felt it – the chilling air touching his skin. He looked at Haku just in time to see him melt into water, Sakura's eyes widening at that. Next thing he knew, his teammate was sent flying to him, spinning her body just in time to land on her feet.

She looked at Sasuke with wide eyes. “What-?”

“Hidden Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors.” Haku's voice interrupted her question, coming from nowhere and everywhere, just as Zabuza's before – from the mist itself.

The water on the ground rose to the air again, surrounding Sasuke and Sakura, and the dark-haired boy could only watch as the liquid froze into identical mirrors, forming some sort of dome around the two Konoha genin.

“What the hell?” Sakura breathed out, frantically looking around.

Then, her eyes zeroed in on something, and Sasuke followed her gaze to find Haku standing right outside of the dome, staring at them.

“Well, shall I begin?” The masked boy asked just before he stepped forward, _into_ a mirror.

Next thing Sasuke knew, Haku was everywhere, his image staring at the Uchiha and his teammate from every mirror surrounding the duo. A chill ran down Sasuke's spine.

“What...” He swallowed, looking around, looking for the real Haku – but there was no difference between the reflections, not one he could see and explore. “What are these mirrors?”

The Uchiha felt a sudden sting in his arm, and he heard Sakura hissing. He looked at his arm, only to see the short sleeve of his blue shirt torn, blood oozing from a small cut on his skin. He turned to Sakura, and she met his gaze with wide, shocked eyes – a trickle of blood leaked from a scratch in her forearm.

“Sasuke! Sakura!” Kakashi's desperate voice came from outside of the dome, but, if he said more, Sasuke heard none of it.

A barrage of senbon shot out of the ice mirrors, and the sound of screams filled the air.

**[HS – UN – US – HK]**

Sakura spat out the blood in her mouth. She was on her knees, Sasuke lying on the ground beside her, and their bodies were maps of red lines. The pink-haired kunoichi reached for the two senbon buried in her shoulder and pulled them out.

She looked up to see multiple reflections of Haku staring back at her, and the needles left her hand as she hurled them toward one of the identical images. The senbon never reached the ice mirrors, the masked boy's body partially leaving his hiding place in order to catch them.

“Is that all you've got?” He asked, unimpressed.

“No.” Sasuke retorted, panting as he struggled to get to his feet.

“Not by a long shot.” Sakura followed, narrowing her eyes at Haku, who offered her no response.

All of a sudden, a shuriken flew into the dome, towards Haku, who had yet to return to the mirror. It grazed his mask, leaving behind a deep, straight line, and the masked ninja fell from the mirror and toward the ground.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.

“Who...?” Before she could finish the question, a loud, obnoxious voice answered her.

“Uzumaki Naruto has finally arrived, dattebayo!” He had his trademark megawatt smile in place, his hands each forming a seal of confrontation. The relief of seeing him well and out of bed mixed with the terror of having him around Zabuza and Haku in Sakura's chest.

“That idiot...” Sasuke managed to choke out, kneeling beside Sakura. “Show off.” He complained, but the smirk in his face was all Sakura needed to know that her raven-haired teammate was glad for Naruto's arrival. It was certainly more than she had expected from him.

Sakura dragged her gaze back to Naruto at the sound of his enthusiastic voice. “Now that I'm here, everything will be fine! The main character of a story usually shows up in these types of situations and instantly kicks the enemy's ass!”

The pink-haired girl stared at him through the spaces in between the mirrors, a deadpan expression on her face. Beside her, Sasuke looked equally judgmental.

“He talks too much.” The raven-haired boy stated, scrunching his nose.

Sakura shook her head, but a fond smile settled on her lips. “That he does.”

The smile was short-lived, though, as she saw Zabuza hurl a handful of shuriken at the newcomer. Her breath got caught in her throat, her heart seeming to seize to beat in her chest up until a bunch of senbon intercepted the shuriken, sticking them to the ground before they could reach Naruto.

“Haku?” Zabuza asked, turning to the masked boy. “What is this?”

Haku, for his part, had gotten up and he stared at his own feet instead of his partner. “Zabuza-san, these kids... please, let me fight them my way.” He asked – _pleaded_.

Zabuza stared at him for a brief moment before speaking again. “So you don't want me to interfere, eh, Haku? You're as soft as always.” He shook his head in disapproval.

“Soft?” Sasuke sneered, his voice strained, and the sound drew Sakura's gaze back to him.

“In a way.” Sakura replied, receiving the Uchiha's attention. “Not only is he using senbon, but he isn't aiming them at high damage areas, or a vital point. I don't think he wants to kill us. Not yet.” She dragged her gaze back to the masked boy outside, who didn't seem to pay her and Sasuke any mind since Naruto arrived.

Sasuke pressed his lips together, looking unhappy with her words, but he didn't argue. Instead, he looked around, at the ice mirrors trapping them both. “But what's this jutsu?”

Sakura swallowed. She had tried to see what was going on, to analyze what exactly this jutsu was doing and think of a plan to escape, but Haku's movements were too fast, and the pain didn't help her concentration either.

She chewed on her battered lower lip. “He could have clones in the mirrors all throwing senbon?” It was a poor suggestion, but it was also the only one she could think of.

“No, it's too fast for that.” Sasuke was quick to reply, still looking around. “I can't even see where they're coming from. And if it's just a clone jutsu, then why the mirrors? These mirrors serve some kind of purpose in this attack.” She nodded – it made sense, although it didn't help her anxiety.

Emerald eyes searched for a blonde-haired boy as Sasuke continued to speak, only to find Naruto running toward the ice dome, a big smile on his face.

_What the hell is he doing?_

“Well, with us on the inside and Naruto attacking from the-” Sakura interrupted Sasuke before he could finish explaining his plan.

“Naruto, if you step inside this dome, I swear to the Sage!” She shouted, feeling her frenetic heart hammering painfully inside her ribcage.

He stopped dead on his tracks, his eyes wide.

“But, Sakura-chan, I came to save you two, dattebayo!” He argued.

She opened her mouth to retort, but Sasuke beat her to it. “You total moron! If you are a shinobi, then use your head! You can't just come in here with no plan and no stealth, you idiot!” That was rude, yes, but Sakura had to admit he was right.

“What did you say?!” The blonde-haired boy was quick to reply, fuming. “I came to save you and this is what I get?!” They would start bickering again, wouldn't they?

_Kill me now._

“You're both idiots!” Sakura roared before Sasuke had the chance to retort. “Is this really the right time to pick a fight?!” The pink-haired girl gritted her teeth. There were far more important things than their petty rivalry right now, like their enemies.

Their enemies. Haku.

Sakura's eyes widened, and she searched for the masked boy in time to see him entering his mirror. His form appeared on the icy reflection, and Sakura reached for her senbon launcher – that had to be the real one, right?

“Over here.” The voice came from behind her, and both she and Sasuke turned to see Haku staring at them from another mirror.

“He moved?” Sasuke breathed out, not bothering to mask his shock. He looked at Sakura, and she met his gaze with equal surprise.

“Sakura-chan, Sasuke!” Naruto shouted from the outside, trying to see through the spaces between the mirrors. He sounded downright desperate, in a way Sakura had only heard once, when he told her about being a jinchūriki. “What's going on in there?!”

She opened her mouth to respond, but, before she could, Sasuke's voice filled the air. “Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!” He expelled the fire from his mouth, and Sakura felt a rush of relief fill her veins – this should work, right?

But the relief was short-lived, and whatever grin had made its way to her face died out along with the fire, revealing the ice mirrors still intact, and Haku staring at the Konoha genin, unimpressed.

“It- it didn't do anything.” Sakura muttered, disbelief bleeding from her tone.

“You can't melt this ice with that level of fire.” Haku explained, nonchalant.

Every reflection staring at Sakura and Sasuke picked a senbon, and Sakura raised her arms to her face in order to protect her eyes right before the barrage of needles poured over them. Her scream mixed with Sasuke's, and both of them fell to the ground, blood oozing from fresh wounds.

“Sakura-chan! Sasuke!” Naruto shouted again, and Sakura risked opening her eye only enough to see him running toward the dome. She could not let that happen – he couldn't fall to this trap too. Not her little brother.

“Damn it, Naruto, stay outside!” She yelled back but didn't dare to look at the boy to see if he had followed her order. The senbon shower had stopped, and she looked around frantically. “Where's the real one, now?”

“Trying to follow me with your eyes is impossible.” Haku stated, but she could not quite pinpoint where his voice was coming from. “You will never be able to catch me.”

Sakura gritted her teeth, but she knew there was no point in arguing. Speed wasn't her strong suit, and she doubted it would ever be. She needed other options, then. Genjutsu wouldn't do – he had broken through the Tree Binding Death, and it was the best one she had.

One particular idea flashed in her mind, but an old memory shot it down just as suddenly.

_“You must tell no one, nor should you use it, except for when you have no other means to protect your loved ones.”_

She still had another mean, the one she had inherited from her mother, although it wasn't quite as strong yet. Her hands closed into fists as she gathered chakra there.

“I'll just smash my way out, then.”

If fire hadn't worked, then maybe sheer brute force would.

Sakura dashed toward the mirror in front of her, connecting her fist to it. She gritted her teeth, but the ice refused to give away, not a single crack appearing on its surface as the kunoichi's knuckles ached. She heard something snap, and agony ran over her middle finger, the same she had broken just a few days ago.

She released a piercing scream, but it was short-lived, as Haku pulled himself out of the mirror in order to kick her away. The kunoichi went rolling backwards, to where Sasuke caught her.

Sakura bit her lower lip and forced herself to get up, her eyes finding Haku's form, not back inside the mirror just yet. “This jutsu uses the mirror's reflection to transport me. From my point of view, you seem to be moving in slow motion.” So, he had _allowed_ her to punch the ice – _he knew it was useless_. “And you will find that this ice is far from fragile.”

The pink-haired kunoichi gritted her teeth. “Damn it.”

What would she do now?

A plan. She needed a plan.

Haku entered his mirror again, his gaze never straying from Sasuke and Sakura. “Becoming a true shinobi is difficult for me.” He confessed, making the genin duo frown. “If possible, I don't want to have to kill you, or you to have to kill me. But, if you come at me, I can destroy my kind heart with a blade and become a true shinobi.”

Sakura swallowed. It was like she had thought. The needles not aimed at vital points... Haku truly didn't wish to kill them. But he would, if necessary, and there was hardly anything the pink-haired girl could do about it.

“This bridge is the place where we fight... to connect our dreams.” He went on, much to her shock. “Me, for my dream. And you, for yours. Please, don't hate me. I want to protect someone precious to me. To work for that person. To fight for that person. To make that person's dreams come true. That is my dream. For that, I can become a shinobi. I can kill you.”

His precious person... did he mean Zabuza?

“Sakura-chan, Sasuke!” Naruto shouted, snapping the pink-haired genin out of her thoughts. She turned to her brother, who was standing just outside of the dome, his eyes wide with terror. “Don't lose to this guy! Sasuke, you- you have that guy you want to destroy! It's a creepy dream, 'ttebayo, but it's your dream!” The Uchiha stiffened beside Sakura, and then, blue eyes found a pair of jade irises. “And... and Sakura-chan! Your mom! Don't you want to see your mom again, dattebayo?! And your sister?!”

Kaa-san. Nee-chan.

_“Tsunade-sama!” Nee-chan screamed, appalled. She stared at the destruction ahead, at the place that had once been a flat, green terrain, but that now appeared more like a set of small mountains and canyons. She turned to the sannin. “You can't just level an entire landscape!”_

_Kaa-san looked over Nee-chan's shoulder and met Sakura's gaze. “It made her smile.” She said, all too innocent, turning to Shizune-nee with a mischievous grin matched by her daughter._

_“You can't just level an entire landscape because it makes Sakura-chan happy!” Nee-chan stated, without missing a beat._

_The blonde-haired sannin shrugged. “Why not?”_

_“Yeah, Nee-chan, why not?” Sakura asked and, when the raven-haired woman turned to her, the child pouted, staring at the older woman with big green eyes._

_Nee-chan sighed. “I hate when the two of you gang up on me.”_

The memory was short, and it left a familiar ache in her heart. Sakura could not even tell if it was a real memory or just wishful thinking anymore. It had been so long since she'd last seen her mom and her sister, and she wondered if she remembered them right, if their voices were the same she heard in her mind.

She just wanted to see them again, even if it was only once, and nothing would stand in her way.

She forced herself to get up, not missing the fact that Sasuke did it too. “I have a plan, and I need you to follow me.” She said, looking at her teammate over her shoulder. The steely resolve in his eyes matched her own. “All we're doing here is running around.”

“I know.” He retorted, dragging his gaze to one of Haku's reflections. “But there has to be a limit to his chakra. He's already slowing. Hold on a little more. Just avoid a serious wound. I think my eyes are getting used to his speed.”

No, that wouldn't do. Not anymore. She shook her head.

“I'm not going to wait for him to kill me.” She stated, and Sasuke turned to her with wide, shocked onyx eyes. “Follow me.”

“But-”

“Sasuke.” Sakura interrupted him, grabbing his hand. The pink-haired girl stared at her teammate dead in the eye. “Trust me.”

He stared back at her for what felt like too long before one of his arrogant smirks showed up once again. “Aa.” Was his only response, and it was all she needed.

Sakura dashed toward a mirror again, ignoring Haku's “It's useless.” as she gathered chakra in her fist again. Her battered and bruised knuckles made contact with the ice and, just as it had happened before, not a single crack appeared.

The kunoichi gritted her teeth and forced more chakra into her hand. “_SHANNARO!_”

She pushed her fist forward, always forward. Perhaps she couldn't do what her mother could, and perhaps she would never be as strong as Senju Tsunade, but she was still Senju Sakura, and she'd be damned if she didn't try her hardest.

A scream tore through her throat, and she continued to push her fist forward even when something else snapped. She pushed forward, always forward, and...

The sound of the ice breaking filled the air, and Sakura's bloodied fist tore through the mirror.

She stumbled forward, but, before she could fall to the floor, arms tightened around her as Sasuke took them both out of the ice dome through the opening she'd made. He released her shortly after they landed a few feet away from the mirrors, and Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

The kunoichi looked down, at her fist. There was blood oozing from her knuckles and- wait, was that a bone she was seeing?

_Shit. Nee-san's going to have to fix that._

Then, all of a sudden, she had an armful of blonde-haired knucklehead. Naruto pulled her battered body in a painful hug, but Sakura didn't have it in her to fight him. “Sakura-chan!” His loud voice made her ears ring. “That was awesome, dattebayo!”

“I must admit, that was quite impressive.” Sakura froze at the sudden sound of Haku's voice, and Naruto immediately let go of her in order to stand in between the kunoichi and their enemy. Haku didn't seem intimidated, as he continued to speak with usual tranquil tone. “No one has ever been able to destroy one of my mirrors. Your strength is remarkable and yet, I'm afraid it's not enough.”

Sakura's eyes widened as she watched Haku's hand forming familiar seals, a combination she had seen not even an hour ago. Her body started moving just as the apathetic words left Haku's mouth.

“Hidden Jutsu: A Thousand Needles of Death.”

The kunoichi's hands fisted right before one met Naruto's stomach, as the other one made contact with Sasuke's chest. The two bewildered boys went flying backwards, and Sakura closed her eyes as, all at once, the water needles pierced through her skin. Her mouth opened in a silent scream.

She stood there, her body frozen, blood trickling down her chin and oozing from every wound in her flesh. The water needles slowly melted away, and the liquid splattered on the ground, mixing with the copious amount of blood leaving Sakura's body.

Hazed emerald eyes found some needles on the ground, the weapons she favored herself, and the nasty sting of tears in her eyes plagued her body just as much as the pain from her wounds.

_“Hey, hey. Don't cry.” Nee-chan asked in a pleading tone, soft hands gently wiping the tears that cascaded down Sakura's face, even though the raven-haired woman herself was crying. “You will be okay, Sakura-chan, I promise. You will be safe.” Her voice faltered, a sob tearing through her throat._

_Sakura shook her head and screwed her eyes shut. “But I want to be _with you_.”_

_She didn't care about being safe. She had always felt safe around Kaa-san and Nee-chan. So, why did have to change now? She did not want to be apart from her mom and her sister, from the only family she had ever known. So long as she was with them, Sakura would be okay._

_So, why were they leaving her alone?_

_“I know.” Nee-chan whispered, caressing her cheek. Sakura opened her eyes again and, through the teary blur, she could see her sister's reddened face, her trembling lower lip, her watery gaze. _

_The pink-haired child reached out to wipe her Nee-chan's tears, and the woman let out a chuckle that sounded nothing short of miserable. Shizune-nee took Sakura's hand in between her own and pulled the girl closer, engulfing her in a tight, warm embrace._

_If Sakura had to explain what safety was, she'd say this was it: her Nee-chan's arms, which never failed to make her feel as if everything would be okay. But, for the first time, only an aching dread settled in the girl's chest – she knew nothing would be alright now._

_“I love you so much, Sakura-chan.” Shizune-nee said, her voice strained, and Sakura's thin arms tightened around her sister. “And this isn't goodbye. We'll see each other again, I promise.”_

_Sooner than Sakura would have liked, Nee-chan let go of her. The kid watched as her sister pulled her kimono's sleeve up to her elbow, revealing what she had explained to be her senbon launcher wrapped around her forearm. She slowly untied it and offered it to Sakura._

_“Here.” Nee-chan said, wiping her own tears with her free hand. “Can you hold onto this for me, until we meet again? I expect you to return it.” The raven-haired woman tried to smile, but it was strained and sad and it quickly fell from her lips._

_Sakura took the senbon launcher in her small hands, gripping it with unsteady fingers. It was the only part of her sister she was allowed to keep, after all._

She had chosen to use senbon in no small part because of Shizune-nee, and Rin-nee was happy to teach her, since it was also her weapon of choice. The needles protected her in the absence of the woman she'd grown up calling her older sister.

Now, the senbon on the ground were stained with her blood, and it felt like the cruelest irony. The pink-haired kunoichi chuckled, but it soon turned into a cough as she struggled to breathe through the blood that amassed in her throat.

Sakura wondered – if she were to die here, would Shizune-nee ever know?

“Sakura-chan!” Naruto's terrified voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and Sakura turned to his general direction. All she could see was a blur of yellow, blue and orange. “Why...? Why do you always have to save me?!” He yelled, and she could barely make out his words, let alone the strain in his voice.

More tears fell from her eyes, but she chuckled all the same – another short-lived, strangled sound. “Idiot.” She could barely recognize her own voice, raspy and shaking as it was. “You- you're my baby brother. And I ha-” She coughed again, and more blood trickled from her mouth. “I have to protect... my future Ho- Hokage, don't... I?”

“But why did you save me?!” That was... that was Sasuke, wasn't it? Yes, it was Sasuke. “I never asked for your help!” She dragged her gaze to him, but he was nothing more than a blur, nothing she could make out.

Her mind felt fuzzy, but... he was her teammate, wasn't he? He was someone she should protect.

Breathing was becoming harder and harder, and Sakura was not confident in her ability to speak. Still, she forced herself to smile, small and fragile as the gesture was, and willed the words to fall from her lips. “S-sorry, Sa- Sasuke... maybe...” _... you can do the saving..._ “... next... time...”

“What did you say?!” That was Sasuke's voice again, and he continued to yell, but no other word reached the kunoichi's ringing ears.

Sakura stared ahead, but she couldn't see the ruby pooling in Naruto's eyes, or the tomoe swirling in the sea of red that had become Sasuke's irises. She couldn't see the bridge, or the senbon, or the enemy she had been fighting up until now. Instead, a woman with brown hair and brown eyes and purple markings on her cheeks smiled kindly at the pink-haired girl.

The same way she had smiled when Sakura made her a promise, just as the genin was leaving the village she had learned to call home. _“We'll see each other again soon. That's a promise.”_

Her knees buckled and hit the hard ground, but Sakura barely felt the impact. Her body felt numb, all except for her eyes, which still stung.

_Rin, I'm sorry._

Finally, she crashed on the ground, a lone tear escaping her eyes as they fell shut.

_I might not make it back as soon as I thought._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again. I didn't expect to post this many chapters before this year ended, but I was inspired and found myself some free time. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. I'm working so it won't be the last one before we finally leave the horrible year that was 2020, but I make no promises. The following chapter is the last of the Wave Arc, by the way.
> 
> Please, let me know what you think about it. Feedback is always appreciated, and I'm very thankful for your support, as is L. Tell me if you liked it, or if there's something I could've done better, or if there's something you hope to see in future chapters. Also, feel free to inform me about any typos or other mistakes. L didn't have the time to proof-read this one before I posted it. I did, but it's quite possible that I missed a few things, or a lot of things.
> 
> The title of this chapter is forget-me-not because of the flashbacks, which are also quite common in canon. I do hope you liked them. I found the idea of Tsunade destroying things because Sakura liked it hilarious, as well as having Shizune going grey because of them. As I said, I do hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> I think this is it. Thank you so much for the support you've given this story. It is very important to us. Happy holidays, and stay safe. I'll see you next time.
> 
> \- C

**Author's Note:**

> so, this is kinda my first fic, so go easy on me, please  
hope someone enjoys this. if you did, please tell me. and tell me if I wrote something wrong. english isn't my first language  
my posting schedule will be horrible at best, but please don’t give up on me, okay?  
thanks for reading!


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